Cyprus, during its six monthly EU rotating presidency, will work with consensus and a constructive approach with all its EU partners to promote European concerns, Defence Minister Demetris Eliades assured here today.

“During our EU presidency in the second half of the year we shall be representing the EU and we shall not serve our national goals,” the Minister stressed.

He also said that Nicosia will cooperate with good will with candidate countries, including Turkey, which does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus and whose troops occupy for the past 38 years the Republic’s northern part.

Addressing a seminar on the Cypriot presidency, he pointed out that “if Ankara does not response, it is not our problem but a problem between Turkey and European institutions and ultimately EU itself.”

He explained that his Ministry has, since January this year, certain duties in defence matters, as Denmark, the current EU president, does not participate in EU defence and security matters.

“We are ready to manage with a sense of responsibility sensitive defence and security issues and serve Europe’s collective security,” he said, noting that Cyprus will host a series of meetings during its presidency, including informal ministerial councils.

The Minister said that developments in the Middle East will be highlighted during the six month presidency, in the conviction that the EU can and must help shaping modern and democratic states which will respect human rights.

Referring to Turkey, he said its provocative stance and threats to freeze its accession course during the Cypriot presidency of the EU Council are an affront to European institutions which Ankara wants to join.

In his remarks, the Minister noted that Cyprus does not have at its disposal an array of experts nor does it have previous experience, however this is no impediment to being a serious and impartial presidency.