Greece and Cyprus reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation on social policy issues, with a particular focus on children, disability rights, and social protection, during a meeting between Greece’s Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Domna Michailidou, and Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Klea Chatzistefanou Papaellina.
The discussions focused on policies and initiatives related to child protection, family support, disability inclusion, active ageing, as well as tackling poverty and social exclusion.
Special emphasis was placed on exchanging expertise and best practices between the two countries. Cyprus presented initiatives including its National Autism Strategy and the “Neighbourhood Social Worker” programme, while Greece highlighted policies such as Early Childhood Intervention, the Personal Assistant programme, Home Accessibility initiatives, the Disability Card, and ongoing deinstitutionalisation reforms.
Both sides agreed to move forward with formalising their cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding and joint initiatives, while also utilizing the framework of the Greece–Cyprus Intergovernmental Conferences.
The meeting also addressed the priorities of the upcoming Cypriot Presidency at the European level, focusing on poverty reduction, social inclusion, child protection, long-term care, active ageing, and support for persons with disabilities.
Following the meeting, Minister Domna Michailidou stressed that Greece and Cyprus face common social challenges and share a common goal: developing policies that strengthen equality, social cohesion, and protection for vulnerable groups.
Deputy Minister Klea Chatzistefanou Papaellina emphasized that the meeting reaffirmed the close partnership between Greece and Cyprus in social policy, noting that through shared vision and coordination, both countries can develop more modern, human-centered, and effective inclusion policies for their societies.
