British News Agency

President of the European Council Antonio Costa shared his assessments on the EU budget, relations with the Middle East and the Cyprus issue as part of his visit to Cyprus.

Beginning his statement by thanking him for the warm welcome, Costa said, “I thank President Nikos Christodoulides for warmly welcoming me in Nicosia during my Tour des Capitales visit.”

Referring to work on the EU's long-term budget, Costa said, “The Cyprus Presidency played an important role in preparing the EU's next long-term budget. Now we need to accelerate our efforts to reach an agreement before the end of 2026.”

Highlighting Cyprus's geopolitical position and relations with the Middle East, Costa said, “Cyprus is an important bridge to the Middle East, a priority region for the EU. We are strengthening our relations with our partners in the region. I look forward to our summit with our Gulf partners on October 24.”

Costa added, “Finally, I reaffirmed the EU's commitment to making progress on the Cyprus issue on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and international law. We actively support the efforts of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to reach a negotiated solution.”