Strategic foresight is an absolute necessity and an essential tool to enable the EU to prepare, anticipate and strengthen European resilience, Cyprus Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna said on Tuesday in Brussels, noting at the same time in relation to negotiations on the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) that “all positions will be assessed and taken into consideration”.
In statements ahead of the EU General Affairs Council Raouna said discussions are focusing “on how strategically prepared we are in the long term”.
She noted that the day began with the sixth meeting of Ministers for the Future of Europe, stressing that “in a world that is changing and shifting very rapidly, with multiple challenges, strategic foresight is an absolute necessity as an essential tool for preparation, anticipation and strengthening European resilience”.
Referring to the agenda of the General Affairs Council and preparations for the June European Council, Raouna outlined the issues leaders will discuss: Ukraine, the Middle East, security and defence, economic challenges, drugs and, of course, the Multiannual Financial Framework. As she noted, “the common thread running through all these issues is linked to the core theme of the Cyprus presidency: ‘an autonomous Union open to the world’”.
She made particular reference to the new Multiannual Financial Framework, noting that the Cyprus presidency has achieved “significant progress” in negotiations. “We have worked diligently, swiftly and with dedication, and we have achieved substantial progress regarding the new MFF,” she said, adding that work is underway on a revised negotiating box.
According to Raouna, “the leaders’ discussion in June will be particularly important, as it will be the first time they will examine a negotiating box containing figures, and as presidency we are at a very advanced stage in this regard”.
Regarding EU–UK relations, Raouna described the United Kingdom as “a like-minded partner”, noting that work is continuing on implementing the outcomes of the first EU–UK summit, while expressing hope that the next summit will take place during the Cyprus presidency.
She also referred to the EU enlargement process, particularly Albania, pointing out that the intergovernmental conference on interim benchmarks in the fundamentals chapter constitutes “a key step and a true milestone in Albania’s negotiating process”. She further underlined that “enlargement has been a core priority of the Cyprus presidency”, describing it as “a geopolitical necessity”.
At the same time, she stressed that enlargement is “a strictly merit-based and conditionality-based process, requiring accountability from our partners and credibility from the European Union”.
Replying to a question by Cyprus News Agency regarding the letter sent by member states belonging to the “Friends of Cohesion” group and how it could affect discussions on the new MFF, Raouna said the Cyprus presidency is working “in a fully inclusive and transparent manner with all member states”.
As she explained, “we are acting as honest brokers in this process, taking into account the positions, concerns and sensitivities of all member states, and this is already reflected in the work we have delivered on the MFF”.
She also stated that “all positions will be assessed and taken into consideration, so that we can deliver a mature revised negotiating box that reflects our priorities and allows for an agreement by the end of 2026, as requested by the leaders”. Finally, she noted that the Cyprus presidency will hand over the relevant work to the Irish presidency so the process can move forward.
