On Tuesday March 28th, a meeting between the Foreign Affairs Minister of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Ioannis Kasoulides and Cypriot youth was successfully held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the initiative of the newly founded youth organization The European Cyprus Society.

The meeting was part of the European Cyprus Society’s innovative project “Youth CYcles”, which gives the opportunity to young people to meet and discuss with decision makers, aimed at strengthening the voice of the Cypriot youth in Cyprus and in Europe.

Mr Ioannis Kasoulides warmly welcomed the European Cyprus Society’s vision, and encouraged the youth to discuss the visions and aspirations of young people from the European Union, as well as the challenges facing the EU, such as the refugee crisis and BREXIT.

In the shadow of terrorism, the Minister stressed the need for cooperation by all countries, arguing that the main purpose of the European Union after the Second World War was to achieve the peaceful coexistence of the European countries. At the same time, the European Union faces the challenge of populism by political parties that tend to exploitation and demagoguery of the people.

On the crucial issue of youth unemployment, Mr Kasoulides explained that despite the economic crisis there is a need to create more jobs, expressing optimism for reducing unemployment in the coming years. The advice of Mr Kasoulides to unemployed graduates is to further specialize and participate in training programs, and encouraged young people to take advantage of European subsidies for business starts ups.

The first “Youth CYcle” of the European Cyprus Society created a breath of change and hope for young people that through cooperation and discussion we can shape our future together.

The European Cyprus Society was founded in October 2016 by Katerina Gavrielidou and a group of young Cypriots, aimed at encouraging youth and giving them a platform on topics that concern them. The European Cyprus Society deals with the themes of youth, European & International Relations and politics without party affiliations. The group is based on volunteerism and has filed for registration as a Non-Governmental Organization.