The Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, concluded her working visit to Ljubljana, Slovenia, on Friday, during which she had separate meetings with the State Secretary for European Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, Igor Mally, and with the State Secretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marko Štucin.
According to an official statement, during the meeting with Igor Mally, the Slovenian side briefed Raouna on best practices in relation to the Presidency of the Council, in view of the upcoming assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU by the Republic of Cyprus in 2026, while the discussion with Marko Štucin focused on issues on the European agenda with emphasis on the Enlargement process, the Future of Europe, as well as the issue of the reform of the Union.
It is added that views were also exchanged on EU-Turkey relations in view of the discussions at the European Council in April 2024. In this context, and given Slovenia’s participation as a non-pe
rmanent member of the UN Security Council, Raouna also informed about the efforts made by President Nikos Christodoulides to resume negotiations for a settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework.
The Deputy Minister for European Affairs also informed her interlocutors about the sharp increase in illegal migration flows to Cyprus by sea and the need for the EU to contribute effectively to finding immediate solutions to address the problem, the statement concludes.
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 in January 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.
Source: C
yprus News Agency