President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has said that Cyprus has been targeted by the EU over its investment programme in the framework of which non–Cypriot entrepreneurs, investors and members of their families are granted the Cypriot citizenship.

Cyprus has granted only 0.3% of the total citizenships that have been granted across the EU, the President said.

He added that the matter of citizenship is clearly a national competence.

“Cyprus has been targeted for reasons that are well known, either for competitiveness or for other reasons” he remarked.

The President noted that Cyprus has not experienced any terrorist attacks on its soil nor was it connected to any terrorist attacks in Europe and said that his country has been criticised by other countries where football teams or big infrastructure belong to those that Cyprus has been accused of supporting.

“Double standards need to end at some point eventually” he said, pointing out that Cyprus has the strictest criteria among the 20 countries that offer such passport schemes.

Leave a Reply