Cyprus has demonstrated its ability to play a significant role in connecting the European Union with the Middle East, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday.

In a social media post accompanied by a video showing moments from Cyprus’ Eu council presidency, Christodoulides said Cyprus had acted as an “honest mediator” among the 27 member states, with “consistency, credibility and commitment to the common European interest”.

It said the country had shown that “the size of a state does not determine the role it can play in the European Union”.

The EU council presidency coincided with what Christodoulides described as a period of “unprecedented geopolitical uncertainty”, during which Cyprus was required to address complex issues and contribute to critical decisions among member states.

According to the president, the term brought Cyprus to “the centre of European decision-making” and strengthened the Republic’s “credibility and political capital”.

The statement echoes remarks made by Christodoulides in April, when he said the country had shown it could “mobilise, contribute and play a substantial role in shaping developments beyond its size”.

Christodoulides said at the time that Cyprus had the “ability to connect regions and perform beyond expectations”, while European Council President Antonio Costa commended Cyprus as a “vital anchor of cooperation and European engagement in the region”.

Christodoulides concluded that the council presidency had contributed to Cyprus’ capacity to contribute to European policy discussions while maintaining its role as a regional interlocutor.