President Nikos Christodoulides is meeting European Council President António Costa at the Presidential Palace this morning, as part of Costa’s tour of EU member state capitals, with the Multiannual Financial Framework and the Cyprus problem at the centre of talks.
Costa arrived at the Presidential Palace at 9:00am for a one-on-one meeting with Christodoulides, to be followed by expanded talks between the two delegations. The two presidents will make statements to the media at 10:35.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis told reporters at a briefing yesterday that the visit comes at an important period for the European Union and at a critical juncture for efforts to resume substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
He said the talks would focus on the new Multiannual Financial Framework, the EU budget for 2028-2034, noting that substantial progress was made during Cyprus’s EU Presidency, laying the groundwork for the final phase of political negotiations, with the aim of reaching agreement by the end of 2026.
Cyprus will bring specific positions and clear demands to the meeting, Letymbiotis said. He said Cyprus was seeking an ambitious and fair European budget that responds to new challenges such as security and competitiveness, recognises the particular needs of small island states, and substantively supports growth and social cohesion.
Nicosia attaches particular importance to protecting national allocations for Cohesion Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy and migration, he added.
The talks will also cover EU enlargement, competitiveness, migration, and developments in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Gulf, according to the Spokesperson.
Letymbiotis said Christodoulides would update Costa on the latest developments, including efforts to resume substantive negotiations, the recent visit to Cyprus by the UN Secretary-General, and enhanced European involvement, including the role of EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus problem taken on by European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto.
He said Friday’s meeting is another opportunity for substantive dialogue on major European issues, as well as on matters of particular importance to Cyprus.
