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President Nicos Christodoulides and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan engaged in an informal meeting Thursday on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Budapest. The encounter, reported by Deputy Government Spokesman Yannis Antoniou, also included Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and, later, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, marking a rare gathering of leaders from Cyprus, Turkey, and Greece.
During the brief discussion, the four leaders exchanged views on the recent U.S. election results, regional developments, and broader international issues, according to a report by ERT. This dialogue, though informal, underscores a step toward diplomatic engagement on topics affecting the Eastern Mediterranean region.
President Christodoulides was joined by Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna and other officials. Alongside him, leaders from across Europe are attending the EPC summit to address key issues such as economic security and migration challenges. President Christodoulides is expected to address migration specifically during his intervention at the summit.
Additionally, Christodoulides plans to hold bilateral meetings with other European heads of state and government. On Thursday evening, he will attend a leaders’ dinner at the Hungarian Parliament, as part of the Informal European Council, where discussions will center on EU-U.S. relations, recent regional developments, and the situation in the Middle East.
The summit will continue with an informal European Council meeting on Friday, focusing on the future of Europe’s economic competitiveness, guided by recent reports from former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and former French Prime Minister Enrico Letta. President Christodoulides is expected to return to Cyprus on Friday evening.
