Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday awarded Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos with the Order of Merit and former European affairs deputy minister Marilena Raouna with the Order of Princess Olga.
The Order of Merit is a civil decoration which is given to “individuals for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture, military or political spheres of activity”, while the Order of Princess Olga is bestowed unto women for “personal merits in state, production, scientific, educational, cultural, charity and other spheres of social activities”.
Raouna said she was “deeply honoured and humbled” to be given the award, adding that it is “far beyond a personal honour”.
“It is s tribute to the collective effort and dedication of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the European Union in steadfastly supporting Ukraine’s European path and advancing its accession negotiations,” she said.
She added that she receives the reward “with profound respect and admiration for the extraordinary resilience and courage of the Ukrainian people”, and said that “my commitment to Ukraine’s European path remains unwavering”.
Kombos is yet to comment publicly on the receipt of the award.
Cypriots among high-profile honourees on Friday
Both Cypriots were among a number of high-profile figures to receive honours from Zelenskiy on Friday, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Luxembourgish Prime Minister Luc Frieden all receiving the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise.
Additionally, European Council President Antonio Costa was awarded the Order of Europe.
It was during Cyprus’ tenure as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency that Ukraine formally opened negotiations to accede to the bloc, alongside neighbouring Moldova, with Raouna describing the start of talks as a “significant milestone” at the time.
She said that Cyprus, in its role as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, “has worked in a results-driven manner, with perseverance, diligently and intensively” to bring about the commencement of negotiations.
“Since assuming the presidency in January, we have advanced the necessary consultations with a strong sense of responsibility and coordinated the processes that have led today to the formal opening of ‘cluster one’,” she said.
EU enlargement ‘a strategic investment and a geopolitical necessity’
She added that the opening of that first cluster “guides Ukraine and Moldova from political aspiration to concrete commitment and implementation of the process that will bring them closer to the united European family”.
“Enlargement remains both a strategic investment and a geopolitical necessity, as it contributes to security and stability at a time of global upheaval that is testing regional peace,” she said.
Cyprus, she added, “remains fully committed to advancing the enlargement agenda and to delivering tangible progress for all candidate countries, in full respect of the merit-based principle, that lies at the heart of the accession process”.
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