Brussels: Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Clea Papaellina will travel to Brussels on January 12 and 13, for a series of contacts and meetings in the context of Cyprus' Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2026.
According to Cyprus News Agency, on Monday, the Deputy Minister will meet with the Director-General of the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU, David Brozina, with whom she will exchange views on the priorities, organisation and progress of the Cypriot Presidency. She will then hold bilateral contacts with Members of the European Parliament serving on the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL).
On Tuesday, January 13, the Deputy Minister will have a bilateral meeting with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Minzatu. The discussion will focus on social policy issues, with particular emphasis on the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency in the areas of preventing and combating poverty, child poverty and safeguarding the best interests of the child, social inclusion of persons with disabilities, long-term care and active ageing.
During her meetings, Papaellina will also brief her interlocutors on a series of High-Level Conferences scheduled to take place in Cyprus and Brussels during the semester of the Cypriot Presidency. As noted, the presence of the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare in Brussels constitutes an important step in strengthening political dialogue and cooperation with the institutions of the European Union, as the Republic of Cyprus assumes, for the second time, the Presidency of the Council of the EU.