President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides will meet with President of the European Council António Costa on Friday morning at the Presidential Palace, as part of Costa’s tour of the capitals of EU member states. The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Cyprus issue will be at the centre of the discussions.
Costa is expected to arrive at the Presidential Palace at 9:00 a.m. The two Presidents will hold a private meeting, followed by expanded talks. At 10:35 a.m., they will make statements to the media.
According to Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the new MFF, namely the EU budget for the 2028-2034 period, will be the main focus of the talks.
At the meeting, the Republic of Cyprus will put forward specific positions and clear demands, according to the Spokesperson. ‘We are 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 provides substantial support for growth and social cohesion,’ he said during a Press Conference on Thursday.
Nicosia attaches particular importance to protecting national allocations for Cohesion Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, and Migration, he added.
The Spokesperson also said that the President of the Republic will brief President Costa on the latest developments, efforts to resume substantive negotiations, the recent visit of the United Nations Secretary-General to Cyprus, and the strengthened European involvement, including the role of EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus issue, which has been taken on by European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.