The President of the Republic called for Cyprus’s specific circumstances to be taken into account in the Five-Year Financial Framework, noting that the country’s geographical location, its isolation from major European transportation and energy networks, the absence of significant industrial sectors, and its location on the EU’s southeastern border create specific needs that must be recognized.
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Read the President’s full speech
Allow me to begin by thanking Andrei for his hospitality. Allow me, also thank my colleagues for their continued support of our efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue, as underscored once again today in the Joint Declaration we adopted.
As an EU Member State from the region (the Mediterranean)—and indeed, it is our firm conviction and the guiding principle of our foreign policy that—today’s multiple challenges require cooperation throughout the region.
Cyprus is geographically blessed to be situated at the crossroads of three continents. And we have capitalized on our position, building our capabilities around the goal of contributing as a stable, reliable, and predictable partner between Europe and the broader Middle East.
One such example is the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, in response to which we immediately launched the Amalthea maritime humanitarian corridor, the only route operated by an EU member state that complements the land and air corridors.
Through this humanitarian corridor, more than 37,000 metric tons of aid have been delivered to date to the civilian population of Gaza.
And when conditions permit, Amalthea can also support initial reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Another example is the evacuation of European citizens and third-country nationals from our region during times of crisis. We are proud of the fact that we have evacuated many thousands of citizens from 70 different countries over the past three years.
Our commitment to regional cooperation is also reflected in CYCLOPS, which was established jointly with the U.S. in 2022 and has already provided specialized training to thousands of officials from nearly 60 countries across Europe and the region.
Another challenge that transcends borders is climate change, which particularly affects the Mediterranean region. We have launched the Eastern Mediterranean Climate Change Initiative – Middle East, bringing together countries in our region to strengthen our collective capacity for resilience, adaptation, and mitigation.
There are many more examples, such as the one we recently established in Cyprus, the Regional Firefighting Center, which brings together countries in the region—and we did so with the Commission’s support.
With regard to the MFF, there is a clear need to give greater political weight to the Mediterranean dimension of the European agenda in a practical way.
The first and best way to do this is to ensure a strengthened European presence in the Mediterranean in the next MFF. We must ensure adequate funding for issues such as migration and border management, climate resilience, and connectivity.
And this is the means by which we can transform the Commission’s Mediterranean Pact into tangible projects that connect the EU with the wider region.
Regarding the overall balance of the MFF, our position is well known; I have co-signed the letter from the Friends of Cohesion, and we support the new priorities, such as competitiveness, defense, and security—but not at the expense of cohesion and the common agricultural policy.
At the same time, the MFF must take into account the specific circumstances of the Member States. For my country, Cyprus, this means recognizing specific constraints related to our geographical location, our isolation from major European transportation and energy networks, the absence of major industrial sectors, and our location on the EU’s southeastern border.
