Cyprus to retain European Affairs Secretariat

The Secretariat for European Affairs, established during the Cypriot EU Presidency, will not cease operations at the end of July as originally scheduled. Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna announced in an interview with Euractiv that the entity will transition into a permanent structure for the coordination of European affairs in Cyprus. During the discussion, Raouna dismissed claims that small EU member states are more susceptible to external political pressure, asserting that Cyprus maintains a resilient diplomatic stance. She referenced the island's geopolitical experience with occupation, noting that recent European developments have enhanced EU-wide awareness regarding the nature of occupation on European soil. The Deputy Minister linked this experience to Cyprus's active stance on the situation in Ukraine, citing a shared understanding of the destructive consequences of conflict. She concluded by emphasizing that a nation's physical size does not determine its capacity to contribute meaningfully to the European Union.