The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, speaking from Paphos at the High-Level Conference “Strengthening the EU’s Islands and Coastal Communities,” announced today, Friday, two key initiatives of the European Commission: the “Islands Strategy” and the “Strategy for Resilient, Prosperous, and Sustainable Coastal Regions,” which it linked to the recent conclusions of the European Council.

“Today, the cycle of the Cypriot Presidency may be coming to a symbolic close, but just as symbolically, the Cyprus Presidency is opening another,” he said, describing the strategies as “extremely important” initiatives of the European Commission.

In his welcoming remarks, President Christodoulides welcomed the delegates to his city, Paphos, “a city that epitomizes the enormous potential of the Union’s islands and coastal communities, despite the challenges,” as he put it.

Noting that the event, held at the southeasternmost tip of the Union, holds special symbolic significance, as it marks the conclusion of the official events of the Cypriot Presidency, he expressed particular satisfaction that “the Cypriot Presidency has delivered tangible, measurable, and substantive results across all its priority pillars for the benefit of European citizens, with our vision of a Union that is more autonomous and open to the world.”

He noted that Cyprus has addressed and negotiated “issues of major geopolitical significance, particularly challenging legislative dossiers, such as the Union’s new long-term budget, the Union’s competitiveness, enlargement issues, as well as issues that affect the daily lives of every European citizen, such as education, health, labor rights, air passenger rights, and so many others.”

President Christodoulides said he feels “proud of my country, its people, and what they have achieved in just 181 days.”

As he explained, “the Cypriot Presidency aimed—and I believe succeeded—in a number of areas—from defense and security, competitiveness, energy, and health—to give substantive meaning to what we had been discussing for years at a theoretical level: the Union’s strategic autonomy. This is the most significant legacy of the Cypriot Presidency.”

He said that while today “the cycle of the Cypriot Presidency is symbolically coming to a close, just as symbolically, the Cypriot Presidency is opening another one. Today, here at the southeasternmost tip of the EU, on our island, we are presenting two extremely important strategic initiatives of the European Commission: the Islands Strategy and the Strategy for Resilient, Prosperous, and Sustainable Coastal Regions, which are also specifically mentioned in the recent European Council Conclusions.”

He explained that, for the first time, through these strategies, “a comprehensive and coherent framework is provided for addressing the specific challenges, as well as for capitalizing on the opportunities and prospects of the Union’s island and coastal regions.”

President Christodoulides cited statistics, noting that 17 million European citizens live on the EU’s more than 4,000 inhabited islands, and 95 million European citizens live in coastal regions of the EU, which stretch for approximately 70,000 kilometers, while 17 Member States have island regions and 22 Member States have coastal regions.

From Sweden and Finland in the north to Spain and Italy in the south, from Portugal in the west to Greece in the east, the coastal regions and islands of the European Union stretch across a unique geographical arc, he noted, adding that along the northwestern axis, Ireland serves as an iconic landmark of European maritime geography, while in the Mediterranean, Malta and Cyprus highlight the insular dimension at the Union’s southern borders.

“This broad geographical scope reflects not only the rich diversity of Europe’s seas and coastlines, but also the strategic importance of coastal and island regions for economic cohesion, food security, environmental protection, resilience, and even the security of the entire Union,” he said.

He expressed the view that “life in island and coastal communities is a special privilege,” offering unique natural wealth and biodiversity, a distinct cultural identity, and significant prospects for development.

At the same time, however, he noted, “living in these areas involves many challenges and real, everyday difficulties. Connectivity, climate change, energy and water security, rising sea levels and coastal erosion, as well as the need to maintain vibrant local communities.”

For island member states, these challenges have real consequences, he said, as they directly affect market access, competitiveness, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, water resources, infrastructure, and the daily lives of local communities.

The presentation of these strategies today, the President noted, “is a crucial step toward a comprehensive and holistic approach to all these challenges, with the goal of a more cohesive and resilient Europe. A Europe that recognizes the diversity of its member states and ensures that European policies and funding are aligned with the specific characteristics of all its regions and meet the needs of all its citizens.”

Referring to the two strategies presented today, he said that “they are fully in line with our national agenda and the government’s priorities.”

A prime example, he continued, “is our national policy for the sustainable development of marine aquaculture, within the framework of the Blue Economy. Over the past fifteen years, the sector has recorded steady annual growth of 4% to 5%, boosting economic activity in coastal regions, creating jobs and making a substantial contribution to the resilience and sustainability of coastal communities.”

Equally significant, he added, “are the investments of over 150 million euros in Cyprus, co-financed by the European Union’s Cohesion Policy, for the modernization and digitization of the electricity grid. By installing smart management systems, new energy infrastructure, and storage systems, we are strengthening the country’s energy security, expanding the use of renewable energy sources, and making our energy system more resilient and reliable.”

For an island nation with limited energy access such as Cyprus, President Christodoulides noted, “such investments are a fundamental prerequisite for the green transition, competitiveness, and the substantive strategic autonomy of both the country and Europe.”

According to the President, addressing structural constraints due to geographical particularities and strengthening the strategic capabilities of islands and coastal regions are at the core of the new strategies. “They are therefore on the front lines in addressing major crises and challenges related to security and defense, the protection of critical infrastructure, and the effective management of migration flows,” he said, noting that by protecting and supporting these regions, we are supporting the European Union as a whole.

“And we are taking a substantial step closer to our vision: A competitive and prosperous Europe, safe and strong. A Union of Values for all. For a strategically autonomous Union, open to the world,” he said, adding that “it was with this vision that we began the Cypriot Presidency six months ago. It is with this same vision that we are concluding this journey today.”

SEE ALSO: High-Level Conference on EU Islands and Coastal Communities in Paphos | AlphaNews

Source: CNA