The informal European Council being held under the Cypriot Presidency is taking place in Nicosia on Friday, with the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and a meeting of EU Heads of State or Government with regional partners on the agenda for the concluding day of discussions.
Today, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, will welcome the Heads of State or Government to the Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia at 8:35 a.m.
The European partners will hold discussions on the new MFF, with the aim of providing political guidance to the negotiations, geared towards achieving progress that would allow for a political agreement by the end of the year.
At 12:10 p.m., the President of the European Council, the President of the Republic, and the President of the European Commission will give a press conference.
At 12:50 p.m., President Christodoulides will welcome regional leaders. Specifically, the leaders of Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, as well as the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have been invited to attend.
The meeting and working lunch of the EU Heads of State or Government and the regional partners are expected to begin at 1:10 p.m., while at 3:40 p.m. statements to the press will be made on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, the European Union and the regional partners.
According to information, on the sidelines of Friday’s meeting, President Christodoulides is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the President of Egypt and the President of Lebanon.
On Thursday, the first day of the informal meeting, President Christodoulides welcomed the leaders of the EU Member States, the Presidents of the Commission and the European Council, as well as the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the Ayia Napa Marina.
During a working dinner, geopolitical developments and the EU’s response were discussed, along with the Union’s contribution to the de-escalation of the crisis. The issue of the Union’s readiness to respond to security-related challenges was also raised, including aspects linked to Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union, which concerns the mutual defence clause.
At the same time, matters relating to the impact on the energy sector were discussed, as well as how the EU can make use of the tools at its disposal.