The President of the European Commission warned the United States at a ceremony marking the start of Cyprus’s rotating EU Presidency that, “the law is stronger than force. A principle that also applies to Greenland”.
“Cooperation is stronger than confrontation, the law is stronger than force. These are principles that apply not only to our European Union, but also to Greenland,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech in Nicosia during the inauguration ceremony of the six-month presidency of the Union of Cyprus, according to a report by EUNews.
Cyprus is a divided land, still partly occupied by pro-Turkish forces.
“For the European Union, a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution for Cyprus remains an absolute priority,” assured the Commission President, adding that “we will do everything we can to ensure the success of the UN-led process, so that 2026 can bring new momentum towards the reunification of Cyprus.”
According to von der Leyen, Cyprus has demonstrated “leadership throughout the region” and “will play an even more important role in the years to come.” She is therefore convinced that in the first half of 2026, Cyprus will be able to play a strong role as the Union’s rotating president.
Von der Leyen also reiterated that “we will continue to promote Ukraine and Moldova’s path towards our European Union, because a free and prosperous Ukraine and a united and prosperous Moldova belong in the EU.”
According to the EC President, “only a more competitive Union can be a more independent Union. And I look forward to working with you [the Cypriot Presidency] to ensure that competitiveness.”
Presenting the six-month work programme in Brussels last month, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said this revolves around five cornerstones to strengthen the Union from within, summarised by the motto “An autonomous Union. Open to the world“.
Fourteen years after its first mandate in 2012, Cyprus inherits a heavy baton, the EUNews report added. 2025 has been an annus horribilis for the Union: from the tariff war with the U.S., to the disconnect with public opinion over the conflict in Gaza, to the increasingly dangerous dependence on China and the more recent hesitations over support for Ukraine, the EU has discovered itself weak and at the mercy of an increasingly aggressive world.
“Today the heart of Europe beats stronger in Cyprus,” the president said, stressing that it is the only member state still partially under occupation. Christodoulides will keep to the tracks laid by the European Commission in recent months, and already followed by the Polish and Danish presidencies during 2025: the focus will be on security and competitiveness.
In its programme, Cyprus has identified five key points to strengthen the Union “from within,” all of which revolve around the concept of autonomy. Autonomy through security and defence, through competitiveness, through trade openness, through the defence of democratic values, and through an ambitious EU budget.
“In the next six months, supporting Ukraine will remain a key focus of the Cypriot presidency,” Christodoulides assured.
The vision of Cyprus is of a Union strong at home, protecting borders and strategic interests, while at the same time able to build partnerships and alliances from a position of strength, grounded in democratic values and respect for international law.
Nicosia promises speedy implementation of the White Paper on Defence and commitment to implement all key defence initiatives: the SAFE instrument, the EDIP programme, and the defence industry strategy.
But, in line with other southern European capitals, for Cyprus, security is not only about strengthening defence, but “it is a broad, complex and multi-layered concept.” In other words, the “effective management” of migration is “a key priority” for the island nestled on the eastern Mediterranean route.
Focus on the full implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact and on the first solidarity cycle, which provides that Cyprus itself—along with Italy, Spain, and Greece—can benefit from the relocation of migrants or financial assistance from other member states.
Another priority stems from Cyprus’s geographical location: the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean, and the promotion of its key projects, which Christodoulides will present at the informal summit he will host on the island in April, in the presence of the ten heads of state of the southern neighbourhood countries.
In addition, “strengthening our relations with regional organisations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League is a strategic priority for the Cypriot presidency,” the president added.
Cyprus then reaffirms its commitment to the regulatory simplification agenda undertaken by the European Commission: the goal remains the “substantial strengthening” of European competi
“Cooperation is stronger than confrontation, the law is stronger than force. These are principles that apply not only to our European Union, but also to Greenland,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech in Nicosia during the inauguration ceremony of the six-month presidency of the Union of Cyprus, according to a report by EUNews.
Cyprus is a divided land, still partly occupied by pro-Turkish forces.
“For the European Union, a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution for Cyprus remains an absolute priority,” assured the Commission President, adding that “we will do everything we can to ensure the success of the UN-led process, so that 2026 can bring new momentum towards the reunification of Cyprus.”
According to von der Leyen, Cyprus has demonstrated “leadership throughout the region” and “will play an even more important role in the years to come.” She is therefore convinced that in the first half of 2026, Cyprus will be able to play a strong role as the Union’s rotating president.
Von der Leyen also reiterated that “we will continue to promote Ukraine and Moldova’s path towards our European Union, because a free and prosperous Ukraine and a united and prosperous Moldova belong in the EU.”
According to the EC President, “only a more competitive Union can be a more independent Union. And I look forward to working with you [the Cypriot Presidency] to ensure that competitiveness.”
Presenting the six-month work programme in Brussels last month, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said this revolves around five cornerstones to strengthen the Union from within, summarised by the motto “An autonomous Union. Open to the world“.
Fourteen years after its first mandate in 2012, Cyprus inherits a heavy baton, the EUNews report added. 2025 has been an annus horribilis for the Union: from the tariff war with the U.S., to the disconnect with public opinion over the conflict in Gaza, to the increasingly dangerous dependence on China and the more recent hesitations over support for Ukraine, the EU has discovered itself weak and at the mercy of an increasingly aggressive world.
“Today the heart of Europe beats stronger in Cyprus,” the president said, stressing that it is the only member state still partially under occupation. Christodoulides will keep to the tracks laid by the European Commission in recent months, and already followed by the Polish and Danish presidencies during 2025: the focus will be on security and competitiveness.
In its programme, Cyprus has identified five key points to strengthen the Union “from within,” all of which revolve around the concept of autonomy. Autonomy through security and defence, through competitiveness, through trade openness, through the defence of democratic values, and through an ambitious EU budget.
“In the next six months, supporting Ukraine will remain a key focus of the Cypriot presidency,” Christodoulides assured.
The vision of Cyprus is of a Union strong at home, protecting borders and strategic interests, while at the same time able to build partnerships and alliances from a position of strength, grounded in democratic values and respect for international law.
Nicosia promises speedy implementation of the White Paper on Defence and commitment to implement all key defence initiatives: the SAFE instrument, the EDIP programme, and the defence industry strategy.
But, in line with other southern European capitals, for Cyprus, security is not only about strengthening defence, but “it is a broad, complex and multi-layered concept.” In other words, the “effective management” of migration is “a key priority” for the island nestled on the eastern Mediterranean route.
Focus on the full implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact and on the first solidarity cycle, which provides that Cyprus itself—along with Italy, Spain, and Greece—can benefit from the relocation of migrants or financial assistance from other member states.
Another priority stems from Cyprus’s geographical location: the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean, and the promotion of its key projects, which Christodoulides will present at the informal summit he will host on the island in April, in the presence of the ten heads of state of the southern neighbourhood countries.
In addition, “strengthening our relations with regional organisations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League is a strategic priority for the Cypriot presidency,” the president added.
Cyprus then reaffirms its commitment to the regulatory simplification agenda undertaken by the European Commission: the goal remains the “substantial strengthening” of European competi