Minister of the Interior, Constantinos Ioannou, and Minister of Housing, Energy and Climate, Tourism and Youth of Belgium, Hans Bonte, held a meeting on Monday, in Nicosia, during which they confirmed the excellent relations and close cooperation between Cyprus and Belgium on housing policy issues at the European level, with emphasis on the social dimension of housing and the need to ensure adequate and affordable housing for all, according to a press release by the Ministry.
The Belgian Minister is currently in Cyprus to attend the Informal Ministerial Meeting on Housing organised on Tuesday, in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of the Interior, Ioannou referred to the initiatives of the Cyprus EU Presidency to maintain the housing issue high on the European agenda. Priorities, he said, are increasing the supply of housing through construction and renovation, affordable housing for low and middle-income households, mobilizing investments and exchanging experiences and qualitative data between member states.
During the meeting, the importance of implementing the European Plan for Affordable Housing, which can contribute to supporting national housing policies, with respect to the principle of subsidiarity and the specificities of the member states, was also underlined, the press release says.
The Minister of Interior referred to Tuesday’s Informal Ministerial Meeting on Housing, noting that the aim of the Cyprus Presidency is to promote constructive dialogue and substantive policies for the benefit of European citizens.
The two Ministers also exchanged views on the national priorities and challenges facing their countries in the field of affordable and social housing, underlining the importance of continuing cooperation at the European level.