6 days Ago
President Nikos Christodoulides is travelling to Lisbon on Tuesday for a key meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, as Cyprus steps up preparations to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2026. The two leaders will meet at the prime minister’s office. Talks are expected to cover a broad range of issues, including Cyprus’ upcoming EU presidency priorities, developments in the Middle East, the Cyprus problems and wider EU matters.
Bilateral ties between the two countries will also be on the agenda. Following their private meeting, extended discussions will take place between the Cypriot and Portuguese delegations. Later in the day, President Christodoulides will depart for Valencia to attend the European People’s Party (EPP) congress, where elections for the new party leadership will be held.
A formal dinner will follow on Tuesday night, attended by heads of state and government from EPP member countries. The congress continues on April 30, during which President Christodoulides will deliver an intervention. On the sidelines, he is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with other European leaders.
The visit to Portugal is part of a broader diplomatic tour by the president, aimed at strengthening Cyprus’ position ahead of its EU Council role. Over the past few days, Christodoulides visited Serbia and Montenegro, and he was in Spain on Monday before heading to Lisbon. He is accompanied by Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, director of the presidential press office Victor Papadopoulos and senior government officials.
President Christodoulides is expected to return to Cyprus on the evening of April 30..
