Brussels: Coordination and common approaches on key issues were highlighted as the primary objectives during her visits to EU member states, Cyprus Deputy Minister for EU Affairs Marilena Raouna informed the Cyprus News Agency. During its EU Presidency in the first half of 2026, Cyprus aims to promote proposals and strategies that will advance negotiations on major issues.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Deputy Minister Raouna recently concluded visits to Italy, France, and Slovakia, where she engaged in bilateral contacts and political consultations. The discussions centered around the new Multiannual Financial Framework, enlargement, energy prices, housing, water resilience, defense and security, migration, and regional developments, with a particular emphasis on Ukraine and the Middle East. Raouna described these discussions as very constructive, contributing to defining the negotiation framework that Cyprus will undertake during its Presidency.
Cyprus News Agency reported that the discussions revealed a keen interest in the Cyprus Presidency, particularly its focus on the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Gulf region. This interest stems from the role European partners play in these regions, contrasting with previous Presidencies that emphasized Ukraine in regional developments. Raouna and the French Minister of State for EU Affairs explored potential initiatives specific to the Mediterranean aspect of the Cyprus Presidency.
Energy developments emerged as a significant topic, not only for Italy and France but also for Slovakia, which faces substantial pressure in the energy sector. In Bratislava, meetings concentrated on the EU’s energy supply options and Cyprus’s role in managing the REPowerEU proposal. Bilateral relations, Cyprus’s full integration into the Schengen area, and the latest developments in the Cyprus problem were also discussed with counterparts in the three member states.
Regarding the Schengen area, 95% of Cyprus’s technical adaptation has been completed, with the remaining work on track for implementation by the end of 2025. Full integration is expected to bolster the EU’s security architecture, with public support from the Slovak Deputy Minister for Europe, who publicly endorsed this initiative.
Additionally, Cyprus News Agency learned that discussions in the three capitals included the supervision of the property issue by the Council of Europe, within the framework of the Fourth Interstate of Cyprus against Turkey. This issue is set for further examination at the Council, as Turkey demands an end to surveillance. The Deputy Minister briefed her counterparts on Cyprus’s stance.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 following Turkey’s invasion and occupation of its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have yet to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The most recent negotiations, held in July 2017 at Crans-Montana, Switzerland, ended without resolution.
The UN Secretary-General announced an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format scheduled for the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva in March. In early May, the UN Secretary-General appointed Mara Angela Holgun Cu©llar of Colombia as his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, tasked with engaging parties to develop next steps on the Cyprus issue. In parallel, the European Commission designated Johannes Hahn, a former European Commissioner, as Special Envoy for Cyprus, to contribute to the settlement process in close cooperation with Holgun.