“Greece and Cyprus are at the forefront of developments in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean,” said Kyriakos Pierrakakis, at today’s meeting in Lefkosia with the Speaker of the Parliament, Anita Demetriou.

For her part, Mrs Demetriou said that Cyprus is moving forward “steadily and responsibly” in addressing the challenges, noting the need for direction from Europe and strengthening synergies between member states.

The meeting was held at the Speaker’s office in Nicosia, in the presence of the Greek Ambassador to Cyprus, Konstantinos Kollias, and other officials.

The President of the Eurogroup and Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece is in Cyprus to participate in Nicosia on Friday and Saturday in the Informal Meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council 2026.

In the context of the informal Ecofin Council meeting, the Cyprus Presidency will host on Friday, 22/5, a meeting of the Eurogroup (Eurogroup) under the chairmanship of Eurogroup President Kyriakos Pierrakakis. The meeting will focus on recent macroeconomic developments, the issue of competitiveness in the housing sector, as well as the progress of the discussions on the adoption of the digital euro, in the presence of the President of the Economic and Monetary Policy Committee of the European Parliament, Aurore Lalucq.

During the pre-meeting remarks, the President of the Parliament congratulated Mr. Pierrakakis on his new duties, noting the importance of economic stability, sustainability and resilience in Europe, both for the European economy and for the member states.

As she said, “Cyprus has proved all this time exactly that it can respond and be a member state with growth rates, with competitiveness“, adding that these elements must continue to be strengthened.

Mrs. Demetriou also noted that “we are steadily and responsibly moving forward to address all the issues we have before us, we need the direction of Europe and of course the synergies between member states to see exactly how we are responding,” noting the need for a unified European approach.

At the same time, he exalted the brotherly ties between Greece and Cyprus, noting that the two countries have further strengthened their cooperation in recent years through a common front against regional and European challenges.

The Speaker of the House also expressed gratitude for Greece’s longstanding support to the Republic of Cyprus, particularly on security and sovereign rights issues, noting that the recent response of Greece and other member states in support of Cyprus’ defence highlighted the importance of European solidarity.

He also referred to the resilience of the Cypriot economy, saying that it is recording growth rates higher than the European average, despite geopolitical developments and their impact on tourism and inflation. He also noted that “affordable and sustainable housing is a key priority of the Cyprus Presidency, as well as the better use of European financial instruments”.

For his part, Mr. Pierrakakis thanked the Speaker of the Parliament for her hospitality, noting that “Greece and Cyprus are at the forefront of developments both in the Eastern Mediterranean and in Europe as a whole and prove that Hellenism is a force for credibility and stability, but also for growth and strategic perspective”.

At the same time, he said that the two countries have recorded significant progress in recent years, noting that “we have both made leaps greater than the wear and tear, overcoming the existential crisis we were called upon to face“, adding that performance in terms of growth, investment and exports is moving in a positive direction.

The Greek minister also highlighted the need to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of energy, technology and the European role of the two countries, noting that “we need to do even more in terms of energy, technology and our role, our overall footprint within Europe.”

He also referred to the economic impact of the crisis in the Middle East and the measures taken at European level to support member states, noting that Greece and Cyprus are responding with stability and responsibility to the challenges facing Europe today.

In conclusion, Pierrakakis wished good luck to Ms Demetriou in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections, as well as to the Democratic Rally, “the party of Glafkos Clerides, which played such a catalytic role in placing Cyprus in the heart of Europe”, he said.