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In the context of her contacts in preparation for the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, Deputy Minister for European Affairs Ms Marilena Raouna had a meeting today with the Secretary General of AKEL Mr Stefanos Stefanou.
After the meeting, the Deputy Minister made the following statement to media representatives. The meeting took place in the context of my contacts with the parliamentary parties, ahead of the assumption of the second Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026.
Holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU is a national mission that requires teamwork and hard work around a common vision. With a vision of a better EU, an EU closer to its citizens, we are working with absolute dedication and methodicalness, building on all the experience we have gained during these 20 years of EU membership. With the excellent human resources we have - and I want to stress that I believe in the strength of the people of Cyprus, the civil servants - we are working for an ambitious and successful Presidency of the Council of the EU, with Cyprus acting as an honest broker, and leaving our own mark and footprint as Presidency.
I briefed Mr. Stefanou extensively on the progress of the preparations, which are proceeding at an intensive pace, on the basis of a work plan that we have prepared in the Cyprus Presidency Secretariat. We discussed, among other things, the progress in formulating the programme of the Trio Presidency, together with our partners Poland and Denmark. Work which is at an advanced stage. I also informed that consultations on the elaboration of the programme and priorities of the Cyprus Presidency will start later this year.
We also discussed the inherited EU agenda, which is very much the basis of our work. In this context, I mentioned that in addition to the areas emerging as priorities for the Union, which are expected to be addressed by the forthcoming Presidencies, we have highlighted, among others, the issue of EU social policies. This is an issue that is of particular concern to us and which we want to emphasise, as of course are the EU's relations with the Southern Neighbourhood and the Gulf countries.
In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr Stefanou again for a very constructive meeting and stress that the role of the parliamentary parties is particularly important in promoting the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency. It is my intention to provide regular updates on the progress of the preparatory work for the Cyprus Presidency, including, of course, the formulation of political priorities. For a successful and ambitious Presidency that will leave a positive imprint on the EU."
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