Madrid: Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna engaged in discussions with her Spanish counterpart, Fernando Sampedro Marcos, in Madrid to address Cyprus’ forthcoming EU Presidency in 2026 and critical priorities on the EU agenda. The meeting is part of a series of visits to EU member states led by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, with Portugal being their next stop for further consultations on Tuesday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Raouna expressed her pleasure at meeting with her Spanish counterpart, emphasizing the importance of their discussions on Cyprus’ preparations for the EU Presidency. The talks covered key EU priorities from the perspective of Mediterranean EU member states, including the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), migration, energy security, cohesion policy, water management, EU-UK relations, and EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood.
Raouna highlighted her anticipation of advancing these critical issues in preparation for Cyprus’ EU Presidency. Additionally, she briefed her Spanish counterpart on the Cyprus issue following recent developments from an expanded meeting in Geneva under UN auspices.
The Spanish Deputy Minister expressed appreciation for Cyprus’ support of Spain’s request to amend an EU regulation to recognize Spain’s three co-official languages as official EU languages, underscoring the collaborative relationship between the two nations.