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  • 07-01-2021 10:13

EU/Presidency: Portugal's Council stint 'will be success' - Cyprus minister

EU/Presidency: Portugals Council stint will be success - Cyprus minister

Lisbon, Jan. 7, 2021 (Lusa) - The foreign minister of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has told Lusa that Portugal's presidency of the Council of the European Union will be a success because Portugal is a medium-sized country that can act as "an honest broker" without having a "hidden agenda" in the process.

"We believe that Portugal can have a very successful presidency," he said in an interview with Lusa. "Not only given the experience of previous Portuguese presidencies, but because Portugal is a small-to-medium-sized EU member state and can take on the role of an honest broker; it does not have a hidden agenda."

The 47-year-old minister on Wednesday held talks in Lisbon with his Portuguese counterpart, Augusto Santos Silva, as Portugal started its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.

In terms of priorities, Christodoulides said that the main objectives of Portugal's presidency were the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and measures to tackle its social and economic consequences.

"In these challenging times, the main objective of the Portuguese presidency will be how to combat the coronavirus, but also how to face the social and economic consequences of the pandemic," he said. "It is a great challenge for the EU, and I believe that the Portuguese presidency will be successful in these areas."

Christodoulides, a career diplomat, has been foreign minister since March 2018 in the government led by the liberal-conservative Democratic Union (DISY) of the country's president, Nikos Anastasiades.

On the current epidemiological situation in Cyprus, he described it as "very challenging", adding that on Friday the cabinet "will announce new measures that will limit many activities of the population."

Christodoulides stressed that during Portugal's presidency, "serious economic and social problems" will emerge in all EU member states as a result of the pandemic.

"This is the time for the EU to intervene and demonstrate its leadership not only in addressing the pandemic, but also in tackling all the economic and social problems," he stressed.

With the virus still out of control, he said, a central priority of the Portuguese presidency is the "completion of the [recovery and resilience] plan for member states to guarantee the necessary funding to deal with the economic and social consequences of the pandemic."

On the situation in Cyprus, he said it was "difficult", adding: "We are in the second wave, as has been said, vaccination has already been started; it will take some time, but so far the situation is very tough.

"Tourism was seriously affected with a ninety-one percent reduction in the last tourist season due to the pandemic, and that implies great challenges for our economy," he went on. "But for the moment, our priority is the health of the population."

PCR/ARO // ARO.

Lusa