Annita Dimitriou calls on Greece and Cyprus to turn geography into strategic power

Speaker of the Cypriot House of Representatives Annita Dimitriou addressed the plenary of the Greek Parliament, urging both countries to transform their location at the southeastern edge of Europe into a source of collective strength. She highlighted that Greece and Cyprus, as neighboring democracies, face wars, migration pressures, energy reshuffling, hybrid threats and regional instability, and that “peace needs outwardness, security needs deterrence and development needs stability.”

Dimitriou argued that the two states should act as a unified European gateway to the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, and called for a more decisive EU – faster decision‑making, a common foreign‑policy voice, deeper defence cooperation, a stronger energy union and joint competitiveness tools. She referenced the EU’s SAFE programme and the need to bolster a European defence industry that avoids supplying equipment to countries that host occupying forces.

She also thanked Greece for its recent support during heightened tensions with Iran, noting the presence of Greek aircraft and naval forces as a concrete demonstration of solidarity. Dimitriou emphasized that a robust parliamentary democracy in Greece is vital for Cyprus’s security and survival, and urged the EU to develop bold financial instruments for crises that exceed national capacities.