Cyprus’ EU presidency is a “national mission” and President Nikos Christodoulides said on Wednesday evening he intended for small Cyprus to make a difference during its six-month term at the helm of the bloc, by focusing on the EU agenda and addressing international crises.

Speaking to journalists covering Cyprus’ EU presidency, Christodoulides said accession to the EU was the most important development in the country’s history.

The president said Cyprus’ small size was an advantage, as it made it easier to put aside its national agenda and focus on the European one.

“It is much easier for a small member state to act as an honest broker,” he explained.

As the member state closest to the Middle East, Cyprus had another “great advantage”, Christodoulides said, as it was part of both the EU and the broader region.

Regarding Ukraine, the president said it was an “extremely important” issue and pointed out that “we can understand Ukraine much better than any other member state of the Union”.

Christodoulides furthermore said Cyprus had moved away from being a “single-issue” country and was no longer requesting intervention for the Cyprus problem every time Turkey was mentioned. “This is no longer the case. We have proven this,” he said.

Referring to the economy, Christodoulides pointed out that, despite the “extremely difficult international situation, we have a growth rate in our economy of over 3 per cent”.

“For the first time since 2008, the unemployment rate is below 5 per cent. We have full employment conditions. Our public debt is below 60 per cent and I am confident that in 2026 it will even drop below 50 per cent,” he said.

The president also referred to immigration, saying that “today, immigration is not an issue in our country”.

“We have a reduction of over 80 per cent in arrivals and over 60 per cent in returns,” he pointed out.

He furthermore said it was time to work for a more autonomous European Union. “And when I say a more autonomous Union, I mean that we need ever greater deepening of integration.”