I warmly welcome you to Cyprus and to my hometown, Pafos, for this very important conference dedicated to the European Union (EU) islands and coastal communities. It is particularly meaningful and deeply personal to me that we are hosting this meeting, the final major event of our Presidency, here in Pafos. Here, and across this blessed island, the sea is part of our identity, our economy, our culture and our daily life. At the same time, my hometown, Pafos, reflects in a very tangible way what the two [European] Commission strategies we present today truly represent: the remarkable potential of coastal and island communities, but also the need to equip them with the tools, investment and resilience they need to thrive.

And so, it is particularly fitting that today’s discussion takes place in this unique setting, a setting which serves as a reminder that islands and coastal regions must be effectively supported in order to transform challenges into opportunities. Opportunities for sustainable growth, stronger communities and a better future for their inhabitants. And this is inextricably linked with our efforts to strengthen the EU’s social cohesion, hand in hand with European competitiveness. Because, dear friends, cohesion and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin. One reinforces and complements the other.

First and foremost, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the European Commission for its valuable partnership in co-organising today’s event. Allow me to acknowledge with appreciation the steadfast support of the European Institutions, both the [European] Commission and, of course, the [European] Parliament throughout our Presidency.

And in this regard, I am particularly pleased to welcome my dearest friend, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Malta; the Executive Vice-President of the [European] Commission; the Vice-President of the European Parliament; as well as [European] Commissioner [for Fisheries and Oceans] Kadis. You join us as our Presidency draws to a close and as we are passing the torch to our Irish partners, from one island member state to another.

And there could be no better moment to focus on the future of Europe’s islands and coastal communities. Nor is it a coincidence that we are closing our Presidency with this high-level conference on islands and coastal communities.

Thank you very much, Executive Vice-President Fitto, for changing the programme of the presentation on this strategy to coincide with the Cyprus Presidency and for your excellent services, and the Directorate General for delivering. In fact, the importance of these two strategies was also recognised in the most recent European Council conclusions of June.

Just a few days before the completion of this national mission – for us, the Presidency was a national mission – I can say with certainty and, of course, with great satisfaction, that our Presidency, the Cyprus Presidency, has delivered concrete, tangible, measurable and substantive results across all our priority pillars, for the benefit of European citizens, but also towards achieving what I consider our common goal: “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World”.

During these past six months, we have addressed and negotiated issues of major geopolitical significance, as well as particularly challenging legislative dossiers, such as the EU’s new long-term budget. We have addressed issues of competitiveness and enlargement, as well as matters affecting the daily lives of European citizens, such as education, health, labour rights, air passenger rights and many more, and we have managed to resolve issues that had been pending for over a decade.

I am particularly pleased that the work of the Cyprus Presidency is being recognised, not only by the Presidents of the institutions and officials of the institutions, but also by my counterparts in the European Council. I feel especially proud of this. Proud of my country, its people and what they have achieved in just 181 days.

The Cyprus Presidency set out to achieve – and succeeded – in a number of areas, ranging from defence and security to competitiveness, energy and health. We succeeded in giving meaningful substance to issues we had been discussing for years at a theoretical level, in making progress and achieving tangible results towards the goal of the Union’s strategic autonomy and further integration. And I believe this is the most significant legacy we are leaving as the Cyprus Presidency.

Today may mark the symbolic end of the Cyprus Presidency, but, just as symbolically, two policies that are crucial for the EU are being launched during our Presidency. Today, here – at the southeasternmost edge of the EU, as I mentioned earlier – on our island, we are presenting two strategic initiatives of the utmost importance by the European Commission: the EU Strategy for Islands and Coastal Communities and the EU Strategy on resilient, prosperous and liveable coastal communities, which, as I mentioned earlier, are also referenced in the most recent conclusions of the European Council.

For the first time, these two strategies provide a comprehensive, coherent framework to address the specific challenges that these communities face, as well as to harness the enormous opportunities and prospects of our Union’s island and coastal regions.

Upon taking up your portfolios, you also undertook this important commitment, which you have fulfilled. I would like to warmly thank you for the important work you have carried out. Your presence here today, in the last and only occupied EU member state, sends a powerful message that coastal and island regions, while geographically on the periphery of the EU, are, at the same time, at the very heart of European policies.

And since, my friends, numbers often speak louder than words, let me share a few figures.

Seventeen million European citizens live on more than 4,000 inhabited islands in the EU. Ninety-five million European citizens live in coastal regions of the EU, which cover an area of approximately 70,000 kilometres. Seventeen EU member states have island regions and 22 EU member states have coastal regions.

From Finland and Sweden in the north to Spain and Italy in the south, from Portugal in the west to Greece in the east, the EU’s coastal regions and islands stretch across a unique geographical arc. On the northwestern axis, Ireland serves as an emblematic reference point of European maritime geography, while in the Mediterranean, Malta and Cyprus highlight the insular dimension at Europe’s southern borders. This broad geographical scope reflects not only the rich diversity of Europe’s seas and coastlines, but also the strategic importance of coastal and island regions for economic cohesion, food security, environmental protection, resilience and even the security of the EU.

Life in island and coastal communities is a special privilege, and I can personally attest to that. It offers unique natural wealth and biodiversity, a distinct cultural identity, but at the same time significant prospects for further development.

At the same time, however, as you are well aware, life in these regions often entails challenges and real, everyday difficulties.

Connectivity, climate change, energy and water security, rising sea levels and coastal erosion, as well as the need to preserve vibrant local communities, are only some of the challenges faced by these regions. For island member states, these challenges have very real consequences. They directly affect access to international markets, as well as competitiveness, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, water resources, infrastructure and, more broadly, the daily lives of local communities.

The presentation of these strategies today represents a significant step towards a holistic, cross-cutting approach to addressing all these challenges, with the ultimate objective of a more cohesive and resilient Europe. A Europe that recognises the diversity of its member states and ensures that all European policies and, by extension, their funding are aligned with the specific characteristics of all its regions and respond to the needs of all its citizens.

Some of you had the opportunity yesterday to see first-hand how EU funding delivers tangible results and has a significant impact on a coastal city like Pafos. And, of course, it has a positive impact on its citizens. I mention this because I want to emphasise that the European agenda – and, in this case, the two strategies being presented today – is fully aligned with our national agenda and our Government’s priorities. For us, European and national actions do not run parallel to one another, but rather complement and reinforce each other.

Our national policy on the sustainable development of marine aquaculture within the framework of the blue economy is a prime example. Over the past 15 years, the sector has recorded steady annual growth of between 4% and 5%, boosting economic activity in coastal areas, creating new jobs and making a substantial contribution to the resilience and sustainability of coastal communities.

Investments of over 150 million euros in Cyprus, co-financed under the EU’s Cohesion Policy for the modernisation and digitisation of the electricity grid, are equally significant. By deploying smart management systems for new energy infrastructure and storage systems, we are strengthening the country’s energy security, expanding the use of renewable energy sources and making our energy system more resilient and reliable.

In particular, for Cyprus – an insular and energy-isolated EU member state – such investments are a key requirement for the green transition, for competitiveness and for the EU’s broader strategy of energy autonomy. It is crucial that the effective addressing of structural constraints and challenges arising from the geographical particularities of these regions, as well as the recognition and strengthening of their strategic potential, is at the core of the two strategies presented today.

The significance of these strategies, of course, extends far beyond the interests of Europe’s island and coastal regions. Many of Europe’s islands and coastal communities also constitute – and this is a particularly important aspect that we often fail to acknowledge – the EU’s external borders. They are, therefore, at the forefront of addressing major crises and significant challenges related to security and defence, the protection of critical infrastructure and the effective management of migration flows.

Therefore, by protecting and supporting these regions, we are essentially supporting the EU as a whole, and through this support, we are taking a significant step closer to our vision of a competitive and prosperous Europe, a safe and strong Europe. A Europe that is a union of values for all. A strategically autonomous Europe, open to the world – which was also the goal of the Cyprus Presidency.

It was with precisely this vision that the Cyprus Presidency began six months ago. It is with the same vision that we conclude this beautiful and – more importantly – highly successful journey today.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for being part of this creative endeavour and, of course, for being here with us today as we embark on a new course, guided by our shared goal of developing the EU’s islands and coastal regions.