The heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) begin an informal two-day summit this Thursday, 23rd, in Cyprus, which will essentially focus on the war in the Middle East and will include a meeting with partners in the region.
The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm local time (two hours more than Lisbon) in the coastal city of Agia Napa, in Cyprus – the country that currently holds the semi-annual rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union – with an intervention by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, about the war in his country, ongoing since February 2022.
Zelensky’s intervention will take place one day after Hungary and Slovakia lifted their veto on the EU loan of 90 billion euros intended for Kiev and on the 20th package of sanctions on Russia, which had been blocked since February.
The leaders will then address the war in the Middle East, the main theme of this summit and which has particular symbolism as it takes place in Cyprus, the only EU member state that has been the target of attacks attributed to Iran since the start of the war in that country, on February 28.
At the beginning of March, Cyprus was the target of drone attacks attributed to Iran, which targeted a British military base located on Cypriot territory.
In addition to discussing the security situation in the region and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the heads of State and Government of the 27 members of the European bloc will also exchange views on the efforts that the EU can undertake to seek to reduce tensions and promote diplomacy.
Proposals presented on Wednesday by the European Commission to respond to rising energy prices will also be on the table, as well as a discussion on how the EU’s principle of mutual defense should work in practice in the event of an attack on a Member State, which is enshrined in article 42.7 of the treaties.
This discussion will close the first day of work, with the leaders meeting again on Friday, at 09:00 local time, in Nicosia, to discuss the financing of the EU budget for the period between 2028 and 2034.
On Friday afternoon, the most symbolic moment of this summit is planned: a meeting with the leaders of Lebanon, Egypt and Syria, the crown prince of Jordan and the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
At this meeting, the need to strengthen bilateral relations should be discussed, but also the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing peace negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
The Portuguese Government will be represented at this summit by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro.
