Former enemies become partners in the EU, says former Cyprus FM at ceremony marking 20 years since enlargement

The European Union is known for the undoing of borders and as a place where former enemies become partners and friends, former Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Georgios Iacovou, said on Wednesday during a debate in the European Parliament to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, the biggest enlargement in the history of the European Union. Asked by Kyriakos Giallourides - one of the 10 young people born on May 1, 2004 who were in Strasbourg for the celebrations - about the expectations that Cypriots had in the run-up to Cyprus' accession to the European Union and whether he believes that these expectations have been met, Iacovou replied that "Cyprus has always recognised how exposed it was both economically and geopolitically". He added that Cypriots above all hoped for security and stability. "Today we feel we have both," he said. At the same time, he said that more practically, young Cypriots were excited about the opportunity to study, to work, to live anywhe re in the European Union and "today we are proud of the fact that the flow of European citizens is in both directions." He also noted that many Cypriots had hoped that accession would take place at the same time as the reunification of Cyprus. 'This did not happen and Cyprus joined as a country divided. But the European Union is known for the undoing of borders and where former enemies become partners and friends,' he said. Addressing Kyriakos he said 'I am an old man now and I hope in my heart that your generation will achieve what mine did not. Thank you for being here.' At her speech President von der Leyen said that 'when the clock struck midnight, on 1 May 2004, a whole continent burst into celebration, the flames of bonfires lit up the night in the Baltic states. A thousand fireworks coloured the sea around Malta and Cyprus, and the lakes of Slovenia, and the Ode to Joy resonated in the cities of Central and Eastern Europe, previously on the other side of the Iron Curtain'. She noted that European c itizens in the then new member states saw their countries transformed, saying that their economies boomed, agricultural production tripled and unemployment rates have been cut by half. She stressed also that 'the power of Europe, together with your ingenuity, has brought a true economic miracle to all your countries. In so many different ways, Europe has made you stronger. But you have made Europe so much stronger, too'. She explained that people and companies across Europe have enjoyed new opportunities to study and work, export and invest in a wider Union. 'You have empowered our response to the geopolitical challenges we face, from our Eastern Members' resolute support to Ukraine, to Cyprus' leadership in opening a maritime corridor for aid to Gaza', she said. Addressing the ceremony, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that in these past two decades, Europe has been met with unprecedented challenges. 'Together, we have managed to meet them head-on', she said. She emphasized that unity does not mean being homogenous. 'Europe does not seek to make everyone the same. We are proud of our differences. Proud of our unique traditions, our cultures, our languages and our diversity. We have proven that over the past 20 years', she mentioned. The present and former EU leaders were joined by the former European Commissioner for Enlargement Gnter Verheugen and representatives from the ten countries, that joined the EU 20 years ago. Statements were also made by the former President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi and the former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, who were in office in 2004, the year of the accession of the 10 countries. During the ceremony, the guests answered questions from a group of young people from the then-new member states and born on or around 1 May 2004 and present in Strasbourg. The ceremony ended with Beethoven's Ode to Joy, performed by the Voix de Stras' acapella choir. On May 1, 2004, Cyprus became a full EU Member State, along with the other nine acceding countries - The Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. On January 1, 2008, Cyprus joined the eurozone. Cyprus assumed the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1, 2012 and the next Cypriot Presidency is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026. Source: Cyprus News Agency