The President of the Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulidis, had a meeting today with the elected President of the European Council, Mr. António Costa, who is on a working visit to Cyprus.
In the morning, President Christodoulidis received Mr. Costa at the Presidential Palace, and then they had a private meeting.
Welcoming Mr. Costa, during their private meeting, the President of the Republic congratulated him on his election to the position of President of the European Council, underlining Mr. Costa's great experience.
Addressing Mr Costa, the President said: “You come from a relatively small Mediterranean Member State. I am sure you will be a successful President. I look forward today to our consultations on how we can be more effective in the European Council, how we can have more strategic conversations, instead of spending time on formulating European Conclusions. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.
You are visiting Cyprus in a very important year, 2024 marks 50 years since the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974. 2024 also marks the 20 year anniversary of Cyprus joining the European Union (EU). It was the greatest success of the Republic of Cyprus and the people of Cyprus since 1960, when Independence was achieved.
I will also inform you of my recent meeting with the Secretary General (SG) of the United Nations (UN), your very good friend. We will also discuss the upcoming Presidency of Cyprus in the EU, in the first half of 2026.
As the EU, the European Council will have an important role to play in these difficult times. You visit Cyprus, a member state of the EU, but you see what is happening in part of our region in the Middle East, but also what is happening in Ukraine.
We have to work so that the EU is much more strategically autonomous, and when we talk about that we don't just mean defense and security, but also energy, competitiveness, which we have to take action on. I am sure that with your experience the next five years will be in the direction of achieving results."
For his part, Mr. Costa thanked the President of the Republic for his support and said, among other things, that "we are indeed living in a time of challenges, but we have a very ambitious agenda, and together we will put this agenda on track for implementation and for that's what I'm here for. I look forward to your Presidency in 2026. Together we will be stronger."
After the one-on-one meeting, President Christodoulidis and Mr. Costa will visit Nicosia within the walls, where they will tour along the Green Line.
Afterwards, the President of the Republic will host a working lunch, before Mr. Costa leaves Cyprus.