President Nikos Christodoulides marked the 65th anniversary of Cyprus\u2019 independence on Tuesday with a televised address that balanced optimism on renewed peace efforts with an emphasis on economic strength, reforms and Cyprus\u2019 role in the European Union.<\/p>\n
He opened with a reflection on the state\u2019s history and resilience. \u201cThe Republic of Cyprus is the shield that protects us<\/strong>,\u201d he said. \u201cOur independence is the cornerstone of our existence, our greatest success and the foundation of our collective future.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning to the Cyprus problem, Christodoulides said that despite the \u201ctragedy of 1974 keeping our country divided for over half a century\u201d, a \u201cwindow of hope is opening\u201d<\/strong> for the resumption of negotiations. He cited the renewed involvement of the UN, the appointment of an EU envoy for Cyprus, and the re-engagement of the international community.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore 2023, such a development seemed unthinkable. For years Ankara and Mr Tatar set unacceptable preconditions that left us at an impasse. Today, the process has restarted from where it was interrupted in the summer of 2017, in Crans Montana. It is not easy and challenges remain, but the fact that it has restarted gives us hope,\u201d he said<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Christodoulides rejected the notion that the current division is permanent.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wall of occupation is not impenetrable,\u201d he insisted. \u201cIf we are serious, persistent and committed, we can make what seems impossible possible. Cyprus can and must be reunited, as a fully fledged EU member state where principles and values apply equally to all people<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n He described the Republic\u2019s EU accession in 2004 as \u201cthe greatest diplomatic success since independence,\u201d adding that it has safeguarded the rights of both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.<\/p>\n \u201cOur vision is a reunified homeland within the European Union, for the benefit of all lawful residents of this country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The president also stressed Cyprus\u2019 growing role in the wider region. \u201cCyprus has become a pillar of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East,\u201d he said, noting the island\u2019s role in humanitarian operations and evacuations during regional crises. \u201cCyprus is now recognised worldwide as part of the solution, never part of the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Christodoulides said that, through actions rather than words, the island has become a \u201cbeacon that illuminates the path to peace and cooperation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n On domestic affairs, Christodoulides highlighted the island\u2019s economic resilience, pointing to strong growth, reduced public debt and repeated upgrades by all international credit rating agencies, saying that these all constitute a \u201cvote of confidence for our country and economy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThis is not abstract,\u201d he said. \u201cIt means new jobs, more opportunities, and the ability to support households, businesses and the most vulnerable in our society.\u201d<\/p>\n He pledged further reforms to modernise institutions and strengthen transparency, acknowledging that the fight against corruption and inefficiency remained ongoing. \u201cWe are determined to build a state that people can trust,\u201d he said. \u201cOur goal is not only prosperity but also justice, dignity and equal opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Christodoulides said preparations were under way for Cyprus to assume the rotating presidency of the EU Council in January 2026. \u201cWe are ready to shoulder this responsibility,\u201d he said. \u201cOur aim is to contribute to a stronger, safer and more autonomous Europe, one that responds to the needs of its millions of citizens<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Concluding, the president tied Cyprus\u2019 independence with the aspiration for reunification and a shared future. \u201cIndependence was not given to us; it was won,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is our duty to safeguard it, to strengthen it and to pass it on. With unity, faith and persistence, we will make this land a common home for all its people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Nikos Christodoulides marked the 65th anniversary of Cyprus\u2019 independence on Tuesday with a televised address that balanced optimism on renewed peace efforts with an emphasis on economic strength, reforms and Cyprus\u2019 role in the European Union. He opened with a reflection on the state\u2019s history and resilience. \u201cThe Republic of Cyprus is the shield<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[268,53,1033,1288,1287],"class_list":{"0":"post-4800","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cyprus-news","8":"tag-christodoulides","9":"tag-cyprus","10":"tag-republic","11":"tag-shield","12":"tag-strongest"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegloss.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}