Paphos, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides said on Friday that Cyprus’ presidency of the EU Council had delivered concrete and substantial results, as the country hosted the final major event of its six-month term with a high-level conference on strengthening EU islands and coastal communities.
Conference in Paphos
Speaking in Paphos, Christodoulides said the conference carried both practical and symbolic significance, as it took place at the southeastern edge of the European Union and in his home town, only days before the Cyprus presidency of the EU Council comes to an end.
The conference, titled Strengthening EU Islands and Coastal Communities, was organised by the Cyprus presidency in cooperation with the European Commission, following the Commission’s presentation on June 10 of two new strategies for islands and coastal communities.
New EU strategies
Christodoulides said the two strategies marked the first time the EU had provided a comprehensive and coherent framework to address the specific challenges faced by island and coastal regions, while also making use of their opportunities and strategic potential.
He said coastal and island regions may be geographically on the periphery of the European Union, but are at the heart of European policies.
Assessment of the presidency
The president said Cyprus had treated its six-month presidency term as a national mission, handling and negotiating issues of major geopolitical importance as well as demanding legislative files, including the EU’s next long-term budget.
He said the presidency had worked on issues ranging from defence and security to competitiveness, energy, health, education, labour rights and air passenger rights, adding that it had managed to close cases that had been pending for more than a decade.
Christodoulides said the work of the Cyprus presidency had been recognised by EU institutional leaders and member states, adding that this made him particularly proud of the country and its people.
Island and coastal populations
Referring to the new EU strategies, Christodoulides said 17 million European citizens live on more than 4,000 inhabited islands, while 95 million people live in coastal areas stretching across around 70,000 kilometres of coastline.
He said 17 EU member states have island regions, while 22 have coastal areas, giving the issue a truly European dimension.