Nicosia, Athens to form common front within EU
On his first visit to Greece as the new Cypriot president, Nikos Christodoulides announced with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the establishment of a High Cooperation Council between the two countries and the intention to form a common front within the EU to promote policies, especially with regard to energy and shipping.
“It is a process of organized intergovernmental dialogue that possibly should have been established long ago… We continue our common course, with Athens always on the side of the Republic of Cyprus,” Mitsotakis said at his meeting with Christodoulides, who was also received by Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
Mitsotakis stressed that strengthening cooperation between Greece and Cyprus is “more necessary than ever,” noting that Christodoulides is taking office “in the midst of great geopolitical volatility with the wound of the war in Ukraine open and revisionism openly expressed.”
Greece’s commitment to the resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of UN resolutions was also reiterated, but both sides were realistic about the real possibilities of restarting a process to reunite the island. To break this deadlock, Christodoulides has made it a top priority to secure stronger EU involvement in the Cyprus problem through a widely accepted international figure.
Christodoulides will test the European waters from his position as head of state at next week’s European Council meeting (March 23-24), during a time, however, when Brussels, and all European capitals for that matter, have Ukraine as the top priority.
