Nicosia: The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has affirmed his commitment to establishing a strategic and comprehensive partnership between the European Union and Lebanon. This declaration was made during Christodoulides' reception of the visiting Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, on what he described as "a truly historic day" for Cyprus. This day marked Cyprus's official assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Christodoulides emphasized that with Cyprus holding this position, the partnership with Lebanon would remain a key priority at all levels throughout the Presidency.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Christodoulides highlighted that President Aoun's presence in Cyprus carries both substantive and symbolic significance. This reflects the depth of Cypriot-Lebanese relations and underscores the importance Nicosia places on fostering relations between the European Union and Lebanon, a cause that Cyprus has long championed.
Christodoulides further explained that during his country's Presidency of the Council, he intends to underscore the necessity of maintaining sustainable and strengthened relations between the European Union and Lebanon. His goal is to ensure these relations serve mutual interests while enhancing stability and cooperation in the region.
In support of this initiative, the Cypriot President welcomed the European Commission's clear endorsement of this approach, as demonstrated in the joint statement following the ninth meeting of the EU-Lebanon Association Council. He also noted the planned visit to Lebanon by the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.
Christodoulides considered this forthcoming visit as "a strong and timely signal" of Europe's deepening engagement with Lebanon, reaffirming the EU's willingness to strengthen its relations and partnership with Beirut in the coming phase.