European Council President Antonio Costa will invite Lebanon’s new President Joseph Aoun to Brussels, Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Tuesday.

Letymbiotis said President Nikos Christodoulides had encouraged Costa to invite Aoun to Brussels, and that Aoun will meet with the heads of European Union institutions and have other contacts during his time in the Belgian capital.

He said Christodoulides had also “underlined the importance of supporting Lebanon as it moves towards stability”, a move which will “have a positive impact on regional security and stability”.

The news comes days after Christodoulides travelled to Beirut to be the first foreign leader to meet Aoun following his election.

There, he said the EU must “actively and systematically support” Aoun, and use “all the available means in its toolbox” to do so.

“This is essential for the stability and prosperity of Lebanon, but also of the wider region,” he said.

To this end, he highlighted the role Cyprus can play as an EU member state, expressing his will to “further strengthen cooperation at all levels” while “also taking advantages of the opportunities offered by Cyprus’ membership of the EU”.

He also expressed his “firm support for Lebanon’s efforts to strengthen its stability and economic recovery”.

Before the meeting, Christodoulides had pointed out that he knows Aoun “very well”, given that he is the commander-in-chief of the Lebanese armed forces – a role he has held since 2017.

He also emphasised the importance of the fact that Cyprus is “the EU member state in the region”, and that the country has “excellent relations with all neighbouring countries”.