EU summit to review Cyprus Presidency achievements on budget, Ukraine and Middle East

Politics euEU PresidencyEuropean UnionNikos ChristodoulidesTop News EU summit to review Cyprus Presidency achievements on budget, Ukraine and Middle East Eu Summit To Review Cyprus Presidency Achievements On Budget, Ukraine And Middle East Relevant News EU summit to review Cyprus Presidency achievements on budget, Ukraine and Middle East 18 June 2026 Christodoulides-Costa meeting: EU assistance on Cyprus problem in focus 18 June 2026 Mazotos desalination plant moves ahead despite community’s legal challenge 18 June 2026 Andreas Bimbishis 18 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber The European Council summit taking place over June 18 and 19 will focus on what has been achieved during the current six-month Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Competitiveness, the new 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, Ukraine and the Middle East form the core of an agenda that European Council President António Costa has described as one that needs to be tackled in a demanding geopolitical environment. The European Council’s proceedings will open with President Nikos Christodoulides presenting an assessment of what was achieved during the Cyprus Presidency’s six months. Among the summit’s most significant items is the presentation of the first negotiating package, with figures, for the new Multiannual Financial Framework. With this specific deliverable, Cyprus is preparing to hand the Presidency of the Council of the European Union over to Ireland. The “nego-box” The negotiating package, known as the “nego-box,” to be presented to EU leadership includes figures for each pillar. At the recent General Affairs Council, agreement was secured on the three main financing pillars: the National and Regional Partnership Plans, the European Competitiveness Fund, and the Global Europe programme. Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, addressing the European Parliament, said the MFF agreement marked a decisive step in the negotiations, bringing the shared goal of reaching an overall agreement before the end of the year closer. In her remarks, she framed the Cyprus Presidency as the body that turned a difficult, multi-year negotiation into concrete, measurable progress. Ukraine and Moldova The accession path of Ukraine and Moldova has been a matter on which the 27 member states held reservations. Until the previous European Council, the opening of accession negotiations, particularly for Ukraine, was not a given. Shortly before the end of its six months, and after working intensively throughout, the Cyprus Presidency managed to open the first negotiating chapter with Ukraine and Moldova, a step described as the most significant individual milestone in the two countries’ accession path. Costa, in his letter to EU leaders, called it a significant milestone that ends a long-standing deadlock. Costa’s letter to EU leaders In his letter, Costa said leaders would address a wide range of critical issues for citizens and businesses in a geopolitically demanding period. He said discussions would focus on what he described as the cornerstone of Europe’s prosperity and social model, the competitiveness of the EU economy. Leaders are expected to assess progress on the “One Europe, One Market” agenda, while global macroeconomic imbalances will be discussed over dinner. Costa said Europe must do its own economic work, but that fair competition at global level requires a level playing field. On Ukraine, Costa said Russia’s increasingly reckless and irresponsible behaviour towards EU member states is unacceptable and a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that the EU’s dual approach of supporting Ukraine while increasing pressure on Russia is paying off. On the other matters due to be discussed on Thursday and Friday, Costa said recent drone incursions into EU airspace, including the downing of a Russian drone carrying explosives over an inhabited building in Romania, underline the urgent need to advance the joint defence readiness agenda, including through strengthening the EU’s eastern flank, adding that despite progress on defence spending and capabilities, much remains to be done. Costa said leaders would examine the latest developments in the Middle East, including the conflict in Iran and its wider effects, particularly on energy prices, as well as the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and developments in Lebanon, including continued European efforts to support the ceasefire and the Lebanese state and its people. He said leaders would also assess progress in implementing previous conclusions on migration to ensure work continues at pace across all priority areas, with a letter from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to inform the discussion. Costa added that he wanted leaders to address illegal drugs, a matter directly affecting Europeans’ lives and societies, describing it as a challenge requiring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, and saying that following adoption of the EU Drugs Strategy, ensuring its effective implementation is now important. Raouna before the European Parliament Addressing the European Parliament’s plenary, Raouna set out the summit agenda: Ukraine, the Middle East, European competitiveness and the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which she said were the most significant issues facing the June European Council. Raouna said European leaders would provide strategic direction on these issues against a backdrop of deep geopolitical realignment and continuing economic challenges. On the Middle East, she said leaders would welcome the ceasefire agreement announced between the United States and Iran, along with a negotiating framework aimed at lasting de-escalation in the region. She said leaders would have the opportunity to discuss the implications of these developments for the EU and consider ways to advance the situation, while reaffirming the need to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and prevent further disruption to global markets, including the energy sector. Leaders are also expected to call for full implementation of the ceasefire in Lebanon, a permanent end to hostilities and full respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while reaffirming the EU’s continued support for Lebanon and its people, she added. “Our agenda too” Raouna said leaders would be meeting at a time when Europe faces many challenges but also significant opportunities, adding that the breadth of the agenda also reflects the EU’s ability to act, adapt and achieve collective results. She also referred to the steps taken during the Cyprus Presidency on the accession efforts of Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro, noting that the three countries are managing under very difficult conditions. On the new MFF, she said the Cyprus Presidency had taken a decisive step towards agreement, which, with a modest 2% reduction, forms the basis for negotiations on setting priorities and modernisation across all priority areas. She added that close, transparent cooperation with the European Parliament had been a Cyprus Presidency priority, saying results had been achieved across a wide range of issues for a Europe that is more autonomous and more open to the world. Raouna said President Christodoulides’s leadership had inspired the Cyprus Presidency, adding that it gives momentum to an ambitious national agenda and a foreign policy that extends the country’s diplomatic footprint beyond its geographical borders. The European agenda is also our own agenda, she said. The Deputy Minister for European Affairs also thanked the European Commission for its cooperation, saying Cyprus was proud to have flown the European flag high for six months. What the President will do in Brussels President Nikos Christodoulides arrives in Brussels tomorrow afternoon to take part in the summit, which, according to a Presidency statement, carries particular institutional and political significance, as it marks the conclusion of a Presidency that Cyprus exercised with seriousness, credibility and clear strategic direction, delivering progress on key files and recording concrete achievements for the benefit of the European Union and its citizens. As part of the proceedings, Christodoulides will, among other things, review the work of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council and hold a joint press conference with the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission. Specifically, tomorrow afternoon, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with European Council President António Costa. He will then attend and address the opening of the “Cyprus Insula” exhibition, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. He will go on to take part in the European People’s Party summit, focused on preparations for the European Council. Before the European Council’s proceedings begin, Christodoulides will join the signing ceremony for the Joint Declaration of the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission, titled “Europe for Culture, Culture for Europe,” alongside the Presidents of the European Parliament and European Commission. He will then join the two Presidents in reviewing progress on the 2026 legislative priorities, as well as the “One Europe, One Market” roadmap signed in Cyprus in April. At the start of the European Council’s proceedings, during an exchange of views with the European Parliament President, Christodoulides will present his assessment of the Cyprus Presidency’s work, highlighting progress achieved across a range of European priorities and the tangible results recorded through what he described as the consistent and effective exercise of the Presidency. He will then join European Council discussions on Ukraine and attend a working dinner of EU leaders on competitiveness. On Friday, June 19, the President will attend a meeting of like-minded leaders on migration before taking part in the European Council, where he will present progress made during the Cyprus Presidency on the Multiannual Financial Framework. He will then attend a working lunch of leaders on the situation in the Middle East. The European Council will also address defence, combating drug trafficking, migration and other matters of shared European interest. Before leaving Brussels on Friday, the President will hold a joint press conference with the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Christodoulides-Costa meeting: EU assistance on Cyprus problem in focus Mazotos desalination plant moves ahead despite community’s legal challenge Man damages cars using crowbar at Larnaca social services office (photos+video) Elderly man’s body found in sea off Kiti Flights at all Moscow airports suspended after Ukrainian drone attack, aviation agency says Cyprus narrows GDP gap with EU average to 98% in 2025 Family reports ransom demand for missing student Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.