Overview
- Cyprus began its six‑month presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, taking over from Denmark for its second stint since 2012.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated President Nikos Christodoulides, briefed him on contacts with U.S. partners, and said Kyiv expects strong decisions during the Cypriot term.
- President Christodoulides outlined a vision of a self‑reliant union open to the world, organized around five pillars: security, competitiveness, enlargement, autonomy, and fiscal balance.
- Priorities include promoting European defence readiness by 2030, keeping Ukraine’s accession path prominent alongside Moldova and the Western Balkans, and managing migration with a focus on crisis preparedness.
- Cyprus plans an informal EU leaders’ summit in Nicosia on April 23–24 to deepen ties with countries from the eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf, part of a push to institutionalize regional cooperation.