EU Council Trio will work for a stronger EU, says Raouna

The trio of presidencies, Poland, Denmark and Cyprus, take over the EU Council during a critical period for the EU and in a complex geopolitical landscape, said Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, in her intervention during the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels.

At the same time, she expressed confidence that they will all work together with unity, vision, and determination to build a stronger EU.

In a press release the Cyprus EU Presidency Secretariat said that on the afternoon of 28 January, Raouna, along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, had a meeting with the Cypriot MEPs "with the aim of further strengthening cooperation and coordination among them, in view of the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU".

The Deputy Minister for European Affairs participated in the General Affairs Council of the European Union, the agenda of which included the presentation of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council, as well as the country-by-country discussion regarding four member states, within the framework of the annual rule of law dialogue.

The Council's work began with the presentation of the priorities of the Polish Presidency by the Polish Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szlapka, "who referred to the seven pillars of the programme, with a central focus on security in all its dimensions: external, internal, informational, economic, energy, food, and health".

In her intervention, according to the press release, the Deputy Minister wished every success to Poland, emphasising that the discussion is particularly important as it "marks the beginning of the Trio of presidencies, Poland, Denmark and Cyprus".

She added that the Trio is taking over the Presidency of the EU Council at the beginning of a new institutional cycle during a critical period for the EU and in a complex geopolitical landscape, expressing certainty that "we will all work together with unity, vision, and determination to build a stronger EU", the press release added.

A presentation of the main findings of the 2024 Annual Report on the Rule of Law in Hungary, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia, by the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law, Michael McGrath, followed.

In her remarks, the Deputy Minister emphasised that the rule of law is the cornerstone of our democracy, noting that such discussions serve as a basis for exchanging best practices and contribute significantly to the defense of the rule of law, not as a theoretical principle, but as a collective reality.

"The defence of the rule of law is of utmost importance and is set as one of the priorities of our Trio Presidency, concluded Raouna," the press release added.

It is noted that, under the item of other matters, the Czech Republic presented its initiative regarding the gradual integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the Single Market, while France presented its proposals for addressing foreign interference in European electoral processes, which were also supported by Cyprus.

Before the start of the Council's proceedings, the Deputy Minister participated in an informal working breakfast of the "27," which was held at the initiative of the Swedish Minister for European Affairs, Jessica Rosencrantz, with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, as a guest, "and the main topic of discussion was Ukraine's accession path".

Speaking during the discussion, Raouna reiterated Cyprus's support for Ukraine's European path, emphasising that the enlargement policy, "a process governed by conditionality, constitutes a geopolitical investment for the EU."

(Source: CNA)