The six newly elected Cypriot Members of the European Parliament, who were officially declared on Tuesday morning, spoke to CNA about their goals and aspirations.

Based on the ranking of the voting results and the ranking of the candidates, after counting the preference crosses, elected members of the European Parliament are the following: 1. Fidias Panayiotou (independent) 2. Loucas Fourlas (Democratic Rally DISY), 3. Giorgos Georgiou (Progressive Party of Working People AKEL - Social Alliance), 4. Michalis Hadjipantela (DISY), 5. Costas Mavrides (Democratic Party DIKO) and 6. Geadis Geadi (National Popular Front ELAM).

Speaking to CNA, independent Fidias Panayiotou, who secured the most preference crosses during Sunday's elections, said that he  would seek to join the EP Education Committee and that he is interested in technology, social media and artificial intelligence.

Twenty - four year old Panayiotou said that he was very happy for the outcome, adding that "we are seeing a new political scene in Cyprus, some people got some messages and are trying to change."

"This was one of the main goals of my candidacy, to force politicians modernise and change their behaviour and to a small extent we have succeeded, we took the step and we will take thousands more," he concluded.

Re-elected for a second term DISY MEP Loucas Fourlas said that restoring peace in Europe, addressing migration flows and climate change, reducing rising prices, artificial intelligence and skills for the future are some of the issues that the EP will address in its new five year term. 

In a written statement, Fourlas notes that it would make no sense to hold discussions on EU enlargement without a Common Foreign Policy, "since in such a case, we will have a Europe without prestige, without credibility and whose word will not count on the international political arena".

Referring to his goals, he said that the time has come for a Cypriot MEP, after former MEP Ioannis Kasoulides, to seek a position again within the largest political party in the European Parliament, as Vice President of the EPP, in order to be more useful in serious issues and especially the Cyprus issue. 

Re-elected also for a second term AKEL MEP Giorgos Georgiou, whose party lost one seat in the EP, said that "the people have spoken, we respect the outcome. It may not satisfy us too much, since we have not elected a second MEP".

Asked by CNA what he intends to do from tomorrow, he said that he will will try to join 'critical EP committees' and fulfill his duties. 

Georgiou said that his main goal will be advancing the Cypriot issue, within the EU-Turkey framework, but also addressing issues related to the environment, human rights, foreclosures, immigration and extreme right.

In statements to CNA, new DISY MEP Michalis Hadjipantela, said that he will begin immediately hard work so that solutions are found to the difficult problems that Cyprus and its citizens are faced with.

Asked which European Parliament committees he would seek to join, he said he would seek to join the Budget Committee, the Health Committee and a Committee "related to the Cyprus issue".

"We cannot ignore the fact that we are refugees. I am from Famagusta. It is important for us who have suffered to explain our experiences to other colleagues," he noted.

In his statements to CNA, re-elected DIKO MEP Costas Mavrides said that his goals for the next EP term will be to promote the Cyprus issue, the harmonization of justice in Cyprus with the EU, bank clauses and workers' rights, as well as the establishment of a European Organization headquarters to Cyprus.

"We must finally bring the headquarters of a European organization to Cyprus, which means employment with high salaries for hundreds of scientists", he said, adding that  he will also focus on the Cyprus issue, being a refugee himself noting that Cyprus, an EU territory, remains for 50 years under illegal Turkish occupation.

Mavrides, who is MEP since 2014,  also said that he would seek a position as Vice-President of the European Parliament and that he is in contact with his political group on the matter.

ELAM MEP Geadis Geadi, elected for the first time, told CNA that he will be defending in the EP the rights of Cyprus and all its citizens, and that he will join the group of European Conservatives and Reformists.

He said that he will highlight the problem of immigration and the burden on Cyprus from the large flows of illegal immigrants, the need to review the green transition in order to support the primary and the secondary production sector, energy issues but also "the very important issue of the sacred institution of the family and its preservation."

Geadis said that the Cyprus issue is a major European issue and it must be highlighted as such, "since war crimes are being committed" adding he will also focus on the humanitarian issue of the enclaved Cypriots in the Turkish occupied areas and the missing persons since the Turkish invasion in 1974.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.