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Cyprus Marks Two Decades in the EU with Distinguished Guests and Celebrations
In a momentous occasion, Cyprus is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary since joining the European Union with a series of events scheduled for Friday. The festivities will commence with a special session of the House plenum in the parliament, where high-level guests will gather to commemorate this significant milestone.
EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou is among the prominent figures expected to attend. The session, beginning at 10 am, will feature an address by House speaker Annita Demetriou, followed by speeches from political party leaders and independent MPs. The plenary session will also welcome esteemed guests such as Ioannis Plakiotakis, First Vice-President of the Hellenic Parliament; Dr Angelo Farrugia, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta; Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Vice-President of the Parliament of Lithuania; and Danijel Krivec, Vice-President of the National Assembly of Slovenia.
Following the parliamentary gathering, a grand celebration is set to take place at the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (Thoc) premises. Here, Commissioner Kyriakidou will deliver a speech in the presence of all the house speaker’s guests. The event will kick off with a screening showcasing “20 years of Cyprus’ EU membership,” succeeded by a video message from Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and greetings from Plakiotakis and Kyriakidou.
A highlight of the Thoc event will be a round table discussion titled “Collective achievements, common challenges and future course as EU Member States – The role of parliaments.” This discussion will feature insights from President Nikos Christodoulides, cabinet ministers, the diplomatic corps, and other officials of the Republic. The celebration will culminate with an award ceremony honoring high school and technical school students who excelled in an essay competition on “20 years since Cyprus’ accession to the EU.”
Before these proceedings, foreign dignitaries will be escorted by Demetriou on a tour along the buffer zone, providing them with historical context before they reconvene at the parliament to sign the visitors’ book. This anniversary celebration not only reflects on Cyprus’ journey within the EU but also strengthens ties with fellow member states that joined alongside Cyprus on May 1, 2004.
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