Nicosia: President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, discussed the preparation and priorities of Cyprus’s EU Council Presidency for the first half of 2026 during a luncheon hosted by the Ambassador of Poland to EU member state ambassadors. This event marked the upcoming conclusion of Poland’s EU Council Presidency.
According to Cyprus News Agency, in his speech at the luncheon, President Christodoulides congratulated Poland on its successful EU Presidency. He also discussed the issues on the agenda for the upcoming European Council meeting on June 26 in Brussels, which he had recently reviewed with European Council President Antonio Costa.
Regarding the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, President Christodoulides highlighted that he, along with Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos and Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, are conducting visits to EU member states and beyond. These visits aim to inform and exchange views on the priorities of the Cyprus EU Presidency.
President Christodoulides identified strengthening EU relations with the Middle East, supporting Ukraine at all levels, maritime security, and humanitarian operations such as Amalthea and Estia as key priorities. He emphasized the importance of making progress on the Multiannual Financial Framework and also mentioned Cyprus’s objective of achieving full membership in the Schengen area by 2026, noting that technical assessments are progressing well.
The President welcomed the appointment of EU Special Envoy Johannes Hahn and emphasized Hahn’s significant background in EU-Turkish relations. President Christodoulides also briefed the ambassadors on his recent meetings with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Cyprus issue, Maria Angela Holguin, expressing his readiness to resume talks based on the agreed framework and his determination to participate in the upcoming enlarged conference on Cyprus in July.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 due to Turkey’s invasion and occupation of the northern third. Repeated UN-led peace talks have not yielded results. An informal meeting on Cyprus is scheduled for the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva in March. The UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres appointed Mara Angela Holgun Cu©llar as his Personal Envoy on Cyprus to engage with the parties and work on next steps on the Cyprus issue. The European Commission also appointed Johannes Hahn as Special Envoy for Cyprus to contribute to the settlement process.