Newsroom
The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Thursday carried out a series of high-level engagements marking the visit of the College of Commissioners to Cyprus, within the framework of Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
In the early afternoon, the President of the Republic, members of the Council of Ministers, the President of the European Commission and European Commissioners arrived at the new Limassol port, where the College of Commissioners’ meetings are being held. The first to arrive were the members of the Council of Ministers together with President Christodoulides, followed by the European Commissioners, who were welcomed by the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna.
Ms. von der Leyen arrived shortly afterwards, at around 14:35, and was welcomed by President Christodoulides, who introduced the members of the Council of Ministers before greeting the Commissioners. The two Presidents were scheduled to visit an exhibition on the Amalthea Plan in the passenger terminal area of the new port, followed by a bilateral meeting.
At the same time, parallel meetings began between groups of Ministers and Deputy Ministers with Commissioners, focusing on key European agenda issues, as well as the priorities of both the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission. According to the official programme, a plenary meeting with the full College of Commissioners and the Council of Ministers was set to take place at 15:55, chaired jointly by President Christodoulides and President von der Leyen. The consultations aim to strengthen coordination and cooperation during Cyprus’s six-month Presidency term. Later in the afternoon, the two leaders were expected to hold a joint press conference.
Earlier in the day, President von der Leyen undertook a tour along the Green Line in Nicosia, accompanied by President Christodoulides. The visit included a stop near the new Nicosia City Hall, where the President of the Commission visited an exhibition organised by the Press and Information Office entitled “Cyprus Question” and listened to Cypriot songs performed by a student choir from the Pancyprian Gymnasium.
Ms. von der Leyen was then guided through the narrow streets of old Nicosia, where she and the President of the Republic spoke with local shopkeepers. Her guide was Titina Loizidou, a refugee from Kyrenia who won a landmark case against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights concerning deprivation of property and the right of return.
The tour concluded with President von der Leyen and President Christodoulides having coffee at a café in the Faneromeni Church area. Among those accompanying the President of the European Commission during the day’s engagements were Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos, Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, and Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis.
