27
November 2013
Good
afternoon ladies and gentlemen,
On
behalf of the Commission and my own behalf, I would like to warmly welcome
President Anastasiades here today. The President and I held a productive meeting
this morning before we joined the college of commissioners and the Cypriot
government for a fruitful plenary debate.
The
meeting showed the close working relationship we have established with our
Cypriot partners and friends, who share our commitment and drive for an ever
closer union.
I
would like to commend President Anastasiades, the Cypriot authorities and the
Cypriot people for implementing the financial assistance programme with
determination.
The
Commission welcomes the resolve of the Cyprus government and sees with
satisfaction their efforts in implementing the programme.
The
latest assessment by the European Union and the IMF shows that the programme is
largely on track, but that risks remain. Fiscal targets are being met and
important reforms are being rolled out, but it is essential to keep up these
efforts to provide a new basis for future sustainable growth in Cyprus.
One
of the top priorities for Cyprus must be to reduce high levels of unemployment,
particularly youth unemployment. European Union funding has a key role to play
here, and in the overall recovery of the Cypriot economy.
We
have discussed, during our meeting, precisely what we can do in concrete terms
to support Cyprus. That's why I believe this kind of meeting was extremely
useful, because not only did we have a more political dialogue with the
President, but because of the fact that there were Commissioners there, and
Members of the Cypriot government, it was possible to go more into detail and to
see what we can do concretely to support Cyprus in these very important tasks
ahead.
The
extra 200 million euro agreed as part of the future European Union budget for
Cyprus will help the country invest in energy efficiency, support SMEs and
create jobs, including by contributing to the funding for a youth guarantee.
As
a programme country, Cyprus can also benefit from special rules for the
co-financing of the Structural Funds, for example, special top-ups. And as you
know, the European Commission was proposing these projects for the programme
countries, and we are happy now that Cyprus can benefit from that.
I
strongly urge the authorities to make the best use possible of the technical
assistance offered through the Cyprus Support Group, which was set up earlier
this year to help ease the social effects of the crisis in Cyprus and nurture
new sources of growth.
I
would like to assure the Cypriot authorities and the Cypriot people that the
Commission stands behind you, ready to support you, as you seek to put the
economy back on a more solid footing.
We
have also discussed energy issues. The Commission is confident that the recent
development of gas can contribute to restore sustainable economic growth and
improve the security of energy supply for Cyprus and the whole European
Union.
We
recognise Cyprus' sovereign right to decide on the various aspects of the supply
chain, but stress also the need to carry out a proper impact analysis for the
investments to be made.
President
Anastasiades and I have also discussed the Cyprus settlement issue.
For
several years now, this has been a political priority for the European
Commission and, indeed, for myself. I have been speaking with the leadership of
Cyprus for several years on this major topic. We have offered our support and
made efforts to help all parties involved to solve the Cyprus issue. And our
offer still stands today.
It
has not been possible so far to find a solution, but I believe now there is a
genuine opportunity to reach a solution once and for all.
I
would like to thank President Anastasiades for his commitment to the process,
which he has been showing since 2004 through his support for the Annan Plan. I
know how committed he is and how much he wants to see progress.
Like
President Anastasiades, I very much hope and expect that fully fledged
negotiations will be re-launched soon.
The
Commission supports efforts in agreeing on a joint statement with the other
party. An agreement on it will facilitate the process of negotiations.
From
the Commission side, we will continue to show our support and, once we start to
see concrete progress, we will further enhance our involvement, participation
and visibility in the process.
President
Anastasiades, I would like to thank you for this very useful and open
discussion, and I look forward to continuing to work with you on our shared
objectives - for Cyprus and for Europe – in the true spirit of partnership and
friendship.
I
thank you.
