Need for a united Europe the main message of Europe Day celebrations in Nicosia

Maintaining peace on the European continent and cooperation between member states for a better future were the main messages of Europe Day celebrations, which took place on Sunday, May 8, at Eleftheria Square, in Nicosia.

In his introductory speech, the Mayor of Nicosia, Constantinos Yiorkadjis, said that Cyprus as an EU Member State has handled many crises for the benefit of its citizens, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported.

“We have benefited significantly as a state and as societies from the benefits of the Union’s regional policy, which is a true example of European solidarity. The contribution of these European funds for Nicosia is reflected here in particular with the redevelopment of Eleftheria Square, but also in the centre of the capital in general,” he added.

Reaffirming Yiorkadjis’s comments, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said that today the peoples of Europe need a united Europe more than ever, as the continent faces internal and external challenges and threats.

Meanwhile, head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus Andreas Kettis said that the European Parliament and the European Commission guarantee the continuation of the many benefits that citizens in all 27 member states of the Union enjoy today.

“The European Union stands with one voice on the side of Ukraine and the European Parliament is doing everything it can to support the Ukrainian people in defending the national sovereignty and integrity of the country. This year’s Europe Day therefore is even more significant as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to peace, to show our solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and to uphold universal values such as freedom and democracy in a rules-based world order” Kettis added.

The French ambassador Salina Grenet-Catalano emphasised the fact that the war launched Russia against Ukraine has shown that Europe still needs to fully protect its values and faced with this challenge the EU has proven its strength during the past weeks.

“We must move towards a greener, more independent and more efficient Europe. We need also to move towards a more humanistic and more democratic Europe, a Europe that really listens to its citizens. Tomorrow on Europe Day we will know the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe and I hope that this unprecedented democratic exercise will enable us to build a stronger Union for the decades to come,” the French diplomat underlined.

Meanwhile, head of the European Commission Representation in Cyprus Myrto Zabarta stressed that the focus should now be on the Europe of the future, a Europe that protects workers’ rights, that encourages equality, and that reflects the wishes of our citizens, especially young people to whom this year is dedicated.

Commissioner for the Citizen Panayiotis Sentonas also welcomed the 2022 European Year of Youth and, being the relevant authority in Cyprus, he said that his office has issued a general call for participation in this effort, inviting young people to submit their proposals for a better Europe.

Finally, the Rector of the University of Cyprus, Tasos Christofides, stated in his speech that the European family is called upon to make the necessary transitions to ensure peace, to translate political developments in order to safeguard the interests of its member states and to protect its citizens as a whole.

“The EU has a lot to offer to European citizens. As Rector of the University of Cyprus, as an academic, I experience Europe’s contribution in the areas of development, research and the promotion of expanded synergies. Europe is many things, we only need to look around us in our own country carefully how many infrastructure projects have received EU funding,” he added.