CYPRUS HAS proved its doubters wrong by doing an “excellent job” in the first six weeks of its EU presidency, said Deputy Foreign Minister for Greece Demetris Kourkoulas yesterday.
Kourkoulas came to Cyprus for meetings with Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou Marcoullis and Deputy Minister for European Affairs Andreas Mavroyiannis and was due to leave yesterday.
Speaking after his meetings, Kourkoulas said the EU presidency was “in good hands” at a very crucial period for the EU in the long-term.
The deputy minister said he was “really proud because with the efforts of Cyprus and Greece’s help, Cyprus is now at the helm of the EU Council”.
“What makes me even happier is that the first six weeks of the Cyprus presidency have proven that it is doing an excellent job,” he added.
This serves to answer all those who had questioned the institutional structure of the EU and Cyprus’ right to exercise the presidency, said the Greek diplomat.
Kourkoulas said during the next few months, the EU will be at a “crucial turning point”, noting that Cyprus’ positive handling of the presidency was a “blessing” at a time when decisions taken now will determine the future of the EU in the years to come.
He noted that Greece’s positions were “in line” with those of Cyprus on many issues facing the presidency, adding that his country counted on Cyprus’ support on various issues that will take centre stage in the coming months, including the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) “which is of great interest to us”, he said.
Marcoullis said the two examined in detail a number of issues high on the agenda of both countries, including the MFF, economic growth and the enlargement prospects of the Western Balkans and Iceland.
Marcoullis briefed Kourkoulas on her recent visit to the Balkans and exchanged views on issues concerning the EU and Turkey, concentrating on Turkish provocations and the EU candidate country’s refusal to cooperate in any way with the Cyprus EU presidency.
The aim is “to achieve close cooperation on the above issues during the presidency, ahead of the General Affairs Council”, she said.
The two diplomats also discussed the fragile situation in Syria and the wider southern Mediterranean and North African region. The foreign ministers of Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy are making efforts to visit Egypt in the near future to meet with the newly -elected president and his government.
Marcoullis is expected to visit Athens in September at the invitation of her Greek counterpart Demetris Avramopoulos.
Greece will be taking over the EU presidency during the first six months of 2014.