Ukraine’s application to enter the European Union as well as President Macron’s proposal for a separate complementary structure to the EU that could include non-EU European states, will be two of the items on the agenda of meetings held in Brussels, government spokesperson Marios Pelekanos said ahead of the participation of President Anastasiades in the European Council, the EU – Western Balkans summit and the eurozone summit, on Thursday and Friday. President Anastasiades arrived in Brussels on Wednesday.
CNA learns that Cyprus is positive regarding the proposal to give Ukraine candidate member state status, and that the country expects to see the position of other member states and whether there will be unanimity in that direction.
As CNA wrote on Tuesday, the summit conclusions are expected to also include references to Turkey’s behaviour vis a vis Greece and Cyprus.
In his statement on Wednesday afternoon, Pelekanos said that EU leaders and Western Balkans leaders will examine ways of revitalising the accession process of these countries during their meeting on Thursday morning, as well as the strengthening of EU cooperation with the region.
The European Council summit, which will take place on Sunday, will focus on the European prospects of Ukraine and Moldova (after the Commission’s proposal that they be granted the status of candidates for membership) as well as Georgia (the Commission has suggested that the country’s European prospects be recognised), and discuss the situation on the ground in Russian’s invasion of Ukraine.
The leaders will also discuss French President Macron’s proposal towards the creation of a European political community, which will be “complementary to existing structures with the participation of European countries beyond the EU”, Pelekanos said.
On Friday, the European Council will discuss the next steps regarding the Conference for the Future of Europe, the national recommendations in the context of the European Semester and the upcoming accession of Croatia into the eurozone.
Also on Friday, the leaders will discuss inflation and its effects in the EU, as well as the next steps towards a Banking Union.
Source: Cyprus News Agency