Remarks by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, ahead of the informal meeting of heads of state or government of 24 April 2026

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, upon his arrival for the second day of deliberations at the informal meeting of heads of state or government at Filoxenia Conference Centre in Lefkosia, made the following remarks to media representatives:

“Let me welcome you to Lefkosia, the last divided and under occupation European Union capital. Our discussions last night were about how to strengthen the European Union's strategic autonomy, how we achieve the European Union's strategic autonomy.

Our discussions focused mainly on issues of energy, defence and security. Today, within this context, we are going to discuss how we can strengthen our competitiveness.

I am very glad that I am going to sign with the President of the Commission and the President the European Parliament the “One Europe, One Market Roadmap”, which sets a very specific timeline and targets in order to enhance our competitiveness.

At the same time, it is very important if we want to become strategically autonomous to have the right resources. So, the discussion that we are going to have on MFF is very, very important. I am expecting to have a political and not a technical discussion. Our aim as a Presidency is to present by June European Council a mature negotiating box with very specific figures.

At the same time, I am very proud that today we are going to have with us the leaders from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Secretary-General of GCC. It was clear from last night's discussion that we need to do much more to enhance our cooperation with the countries of the region, to elevate our cooperation in a strategic manner. And within this context, the Pact for the Mediterranean, for example, is a very important first step. We need to do much more. We have some ideas, and as a country member of the European Union in the region, we have some very specific proposals to put on the table today, and I am looking forward to our deliberations.”

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