The opening event for Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the European Union will take place in Nicosia on Wednesday. The country assumed the EU presidency on January 1 for a six-month term. At the center of Cyprus’s agenda are strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy—particularly in defense and security—as well as migration management. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend the ceremony.
Promoting dialogue in the Middle East is also a priority for Nicosia. Cyprus is planning an informal EU summit in April with Mediterranean neighboring countries, including Turkey. The neutral country also aims to contribute to deepening the Common Security and Defence Policy. Under the guiding theme “A more autonomous Europe is a safer Europe,” Cyprus is advocating the swift implementation of the White Paper on European defense and a roadmap to improve defense readiness by 2030.
Ireland, which will take over the EU presidency from Cyprus in the second half of the year, is also a neutral country. Together with Austria and Malta, they form a small group of non-aligned or neutral states within the EU. The remaining 23 EU member states are also members of NATO.
Zelenskyy meets Christodoulides, Costa, and von der Leyen
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides emphasized on Wednesday that Ukraine would be “a central priority of our presidency.” After meeting with Zelenskyy, the conservative leader pledged to support the candidate country “at all levels,” according to the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. As a country that itself suffers from illegal invasion and military occupation, Cyprus understands exactly what is at stake in Ukraine, Christodoulides said, referring to the northern part of the Mediterranean island, which has been occupied by Turkey since 1974. During his visit to Nicosia, Zelenskyy is also scheduled to meet Commission President von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, who is likewise traveling to Cyprus for the launch of its EU presidency.
