Together we navigate in turbulent geopolitical waters, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday at a joint press conference with President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, stressing that Cyprus, which stands at the crossroads of continents and cultures, has a unique expertise and assets that will matter greatly as we steer our common agenda in the first half of 2026.
The press conference took place after consultations between the College of Commissioners and the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU on cooperation during its six-month term. The consultations took place at the new port of Limassol.
President Christodoulides referred to the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency which were discussed at the meeting and include, among others, migration, climate change, the SAFE tool, the Multiannual Financial Framework, Social Cohesion and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The President expressed Cyprus’ readiness for full accession into the Schengen Area this year.
He also said that he briefed the Commission President on the latest developments and efforts to resume substantive negotiations on the Cyprus issue and thanked her for the appointment of former Commissioner Johannes Hahn as her Representative on the Cyprus issue.
Firefighting Hub a priority for the EU
Responding to a question from CNA about the Commission's intention to establish a Firefighting Hub based in Cyprus, von der Leyen said that the establishment of this Hub is a priority for the EU and expressed hope that the Hub will be inaugurated during the Cyprus EU Presidency. The Hub will have an operational role and capacity building, she said.
President Christodoulides said that this Regional Hub will be based near the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos.
Replying to another question, von der Leyen said that the Mediterranean Action Plan is also a priority for the EU and spoke about the importance of stability in the Middle East region.
Cyprus, she said, is in a unique position and is the best Presidency to promote the Pact for the Mediterranean.
President Christodoulides referred to the EU's increased interest in the Mediterranean and welcomed the actions in this direction.
Addressing the press conference, President Christodoulides expressed his confidence that, through close cooperation with the European Commission, the Cyprus EU Presidency will achieve tangible and concrete results, “for the benefit of the Union and its citizens, towards further European integration and the strategic autonomy of our Union”.
Noting that the Cyprus Presidency takes place in a period of complex challenges but also of increased expectations from European citizens, he added that in this context Cyprus will work as honest brokers and reliable partners, with a clear orientation towards results and with full awareness of our responsibility.
He said that during today's meeting they briefed the College of Commissioners of the Presidency's priorities, noting that there are substantial convergences in political objectives and in specific actions that will be promoted in the coming months.
Energy and economic security
He specifically referred to the discussions on EU's Defense and Security, adding that it was agreed that a strong Europe must have the means and tools to primarily protect its citizens and ensure its energy and economic security.
He also welcomed the progress that, as he said, was made in 2025, under the leadership of the Presidents of the European Council and the Commission, with important tools such as SAFE.
President Christodoulides went on to say that during the Cyprus EU Presidency they will promote the approval of the member states’ plans within the framework of SAFE, on the basis of the relevant recommendations by the EC.
Regarding migration he said that Cyprus will promote the full implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum.
The President referred also to the aim of promoting both maritime and water security. On the issue of European competitiveness, President Christodoulides said that in view of the informal European Council on 12 February, they agreed to the need to strengthen the single market, energy connectivity and innovation.
He also said that the Presidency will work closely with the Commission to promote initiatives to reduce bureaucracy, simplify legislation and provide substantial support to small and medium-sized enterprises.
In addition, he said that the international role of the Union and the importance of a Europe open to the world were discussed and he welcomed the first important deliverable, which is the approval of the EU-Mercosur agreement, after 25 years of negotiations.
During the discussions they also touched on Eastern Mediterranean and it was agreed that this is a region of particular strategic importance for the Union, while he stressed that the Cyprus EU Presidency will promote initiatives that strengthen political dialogue and cooperation with the states of the region in areas such as energy, migration and regional security.
Advancing equality
The President said that Cyprus EU Presidency will work closely with the Commission to promote policies that advance equality and improve the quality of life of European citizens and, in this context, this includes the implementation of the Affordable Housing Plan, through specific actions, which was recently presented by the President of the Commission.
On the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), he said that they agreed on the necessity of having a strategic budget that reflects the priorities , noting that Cyprus will work intensively to ensure that substantial progress is made and that we deliver a mature negotiation framework to the Irish Presidency.
Regarding Cyprus' readiness for full integration into the Schengen Area he said that we look forward to further substantial progress and our accession in 2026.
He thanked the Head of the European Commission on the decision to appoint Johannes Hahn as the European Commission’s Special Envoy for Cyprus, which reflects EU’s interest in the Cyprus problem.
In her address von der Leyen said that Cyprus stands at the crossroads of continents and cultures and this gives Cypriots a unique expertise in dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy, "assets that will matter greatly as you steer our common agenda in the first half of 2026".
"And as together we navigate in turbulent geopolitical waters, it fits that the theme of your presidency is 'An autonomous Union open to the world.' Concretely this means that together we will be working on 3 key strands that will strengthen our independence. It is security and defence, competitiveness and decarbonisation, Democracy and partnerships."
Regarding defence and security, she referred to the White Paper and the Readiness Roadmap 2030, noting that "we have made more progress in defence than in decades before."
Von der Leyen also spoke about the SAFE instrument, saying that on Wednesday, the first 8 out of 19 plans have been approved by the College. "Now it is urgent for the Council to approve these plans to allow fast disbursement." If things go fast, she went on to say, "we could set the record that from the proposal of SAFE in the College till disbursement, we just needed one year."
Closely linked to our work on security and defence, is Ukraine, she noted, saying that the Cyprus EU Presidency "will have a key role to play to ensure swift agreement between Council and Parliament on the 90 billion EUR loan, with the legal proposal in the College that we have proposed yesterday, and we agreed politically on it in December in the European Council."
The second point, she added, is the work for a more competitive Europe "because only if we are economically strong, we can secure our independence."
During the Cyprus EU Presidency, von der Leyen said, a conference will be organized in May for the Choose Europe program, which concerns research in Europe.
Supporting innovative companies
She also said that the Commission will present the 28th regime package to support innovative companies across the Union. Another point that is crucial for competitiveness, she continued, is addressing high energy prices. Several key proposals are already on the table of the co-legislators, von der Leyen said, adding that the Cyprus Presidency will be working on the Grids package and permitting package.
The President of the Commission said that on Saturday in Paraguay "history will be written. We will sign the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement after 25 years of negotiations."
"It will create the largest free trade zone in the world. But our ambition goes further. We are working hard to conclude our negotiations in your presidency with India at the end of the month. As well as with many partners, like Australia, the UAE and Malaysia", she stressed.
Von der Leyen said that she looks forward to the Informal Leaders' meeting on 12 February, that will take stock of what has been achieved and speed up further delivery on our competitiveness agenda.
Regarding immigration, she said that we must work hand in hand to implement the Pact on Migration and Asylum and that the next 6 months will be crucial.
"And I am glad that we can count on Cyprus' experience", she underlined.
The overall situation in Europe, she went on to say, has substantially improved in recent years.
"This is very visible in Cyprus, where irregular arrivals fell by 62% in 2025 compared to 2024. This confirms the larger trend. In the EU illegal border crossing have fallen 37% in 2024. On top of this come another 26% last year. So let us keep up this work and focus on dismantling smuggling networks."
The President of the Commission also noted that the Cyprus EU Presidency will play a key role in advancing the next long-term EU budget.
"The December European Council showed strong support for a political agreement by the end of 2026. This momentum must now be maintained. With speed and focus, we can deliver a modern and ambitious EU budget".
Regional Aerial Firefighting Center and Pact for the Mediterranean
Asked by CNA about the EU’s intention to establish a new European firefighting hub based in Cyprus, she referred to those who “bravely every summer fight the flames and keep us safe.” She noted that she visited the village of Ora in Cyprus in 2021 in the Larnaca district, “that was very, very badly hit by the wildfires at that time”. “The hub is also for them, and it will have a dual role”, she said. She added that it will be operational to respond to wildfire emergencies and it will also deal with capacity building, which includes the wider region. According to the Commission President, discussions between Cyprus and the Commission services are ongoing.
“But for us it is a priority, so my ambition is that we launch under your Presidency”, she said.
President Christodoulides said, “we are grateful for the announcement of the President of the Commission for the Regional Aerial Firefighting Center here in Cyprus”, expressing hope that the inauguration will take place during Cyprus’ EU Presidency.
He said that they have already identified that the center will be built next to the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos.
“We are developing an action plan for the Mediterranean that will be presented in a few weeks”, she added.
Noting that she just returned from a trip to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, she said that, for the EU, the stability of the region was an “absolute priority”. “Our interests in the Middle East are very clear. It's not only that we do strategic investments to enhance the stability of the countries of the Middle East, but also to boost the prosperity, economic development”, she said, adding that there are very concrete proposals and projects the EU is investing in, such as infrastructure, energy, security.
“Our experience is that the more stable our neighbourhood is, the better it is for us and our neighbourhood. And this comes along with investments, with sharing of skills, with job creation. That’s the best remedy for our neighbourhood to be strong, to be stable, to be reliable”, she said, adding that Cyprus is “uniquely placed” to assist in that
She said Cyprus has “a very close connection” to all of its neighbours in the Middle East. “So, I also know that you are the best possible Presidency to take forward a Pact for the Mediterranean”, she added.
President Christodoulides noted that, under the leadership of the President of the Commission in recent years, “we see a new increased interest from the EU side in the region”.
Migration crisis
He recalled that in 2024, Cyprus was facing a serious migration crisis and that he contacted the President of the Commission and asked her to travel together to Lebanon, which, in a few days, led to the first visit by a President of the European Commission to Lebanon.
He noted that under von der Leyen’s Presidency, there a strategic comprehensive agreement was achieved between the EU and Egypt, while last December, the first EU-Egypt Summit was held in Brussels and a few days ago, the first EU-Jordan Summit. He noted that negotiations are underway for a trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates.
He also recalled there is now a Commissioner for the Mediterranean, which was something “that we, as a state in the region, had suggested.”
And most importantly, he noted, during the Informal European Council, the Migration Pact will be presented, where, for the first time specific EU projects in the countries of the region will be presented, concerning energy, infrastructure, education, health, etc.
“We consider that our Presidency is a very good opportunity to further strengthen the important work that has been done in recent years by the Commission,” he said.
Asked about the situation regarding Greenland, and how the EU can support Denmark, von der Leyen said “Greenland can count on us, politically, economically and financially”. She noted that its security the discussions on Arctic security “are first and foremost a core issue of NATO”, but that the Arctic and Arctic security were also core topics for the European Union “and matter enormously to us.” This is among other things, she said, the reason why the EU doubled the amount of financial support to Greenland and has established an office there, “to have a very close cooperation with the Greenlandic government and people”. She added that they were also discussing investments. “We will thus continue our work on Arctic security with our allies, our partners, including the United States”, she added.
To a question about what concrete steps can the EU take on Iran and if she expects the US or Israel to intervene militarily and if she would endorse it, von der Leyen said “what is happening in Iran is abhorrent. And the killing of the young people is a human tragedy.” She added that she cannot comment on other countries’ activities, but that the EU is looking into deepening the sanctions against Iran. She added that the sanctions “have their effect, they are weakening the regime, and they help to push forward that this regime comes to an end, and that there is a change.”
(Source: CNA)
