Speaking in Nicosia on 30 May, European Commissioner for Democracy and Demography Dubravka Šuica said Brussels is ready “to play an active and constructive role” in every stage of efforts to reunify Cyprus and deepen cooperation with its southern neighbours. Her remarks followed the informal ‘Gymnich’ meeting of EU foreign ministers held in Limassol earlier this week under the Cypriot Council Presidency. Šuica highlighted the EU’s new Pact for the Mediterranean, whose first action plan—published in April—includes joint initiatives on counter-terrorism, organised-crime prevention and, crucially, integrated border management. She praised Cyprus for prioritising migration and connectivity issues during its six-month presidency and confirmed that funding will be available for pilot projects linking national border systems to EU-level databases such as the Entry/Exit System and ETIAS. For businesses, the commissioner’s comments signal that Cyprus will continue to position itself as a logistics and talent hub bridging Europe with the Middle East and North Africa. Faster data-sharing on visa overstays and return decisions could reduce compliance burdens for companies that rotate staff through multiple Mediterranean jurisdictions. Diplomats noted that the visit also served to reassure investors unsettled by recent flare-ups in the eastern Mediterranean. A senior official in the Transport Ministry said work is already under way to upgrade port and airport scanning equipment using €18 million in EU co-financing announced in March. Šuica did, however, caution that progress depends on “respect for international law by all parties,” an implicit reference to Turkey’s maritime claims. The Cypriot government hopes tangible deliverables on migration and border management will strengthen its case for Schengen accession in 2026.
Source: Politis
