President Nikos Christodoulides on Tuesday met Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro during a short working visit to Lisbon, as Cyprus intensifies preparations for its upcoming presidency of the council of the European Union in 2026.

The meeting took place at the prime minister’s office, where Christodoulides was welcomed before signing the official guest book.

He expressed gratitude for the hospitality and said he was “very pleased to be in Lisbon for the first visit by a Cypriot president in many decades.”

He highlighted the importance of the talks for preparing Cyprus’ EU presidency and strengthening ties between the two nations.

The two leaders held a private meeting followed by extended discussions between their respective delegations.

Key topics included Cyprus’ priorities for the EU council presidency, the state of Cyprus-Portugal relations, developments in the Cyprus issue, and the situation in the Middle East.

Christodoulides was accompanied by Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, director of the presidential press office Victor Papadopoulos, and senior officials.

The visit to Portugal forms part of the president’s ongoing diplomatic outreach across Europe. Over recent days, he has also visited Serbia, Montenegro, and Spain.

Later on Tuesday, the president will travel to Valencia to take part in the European People’s Party (EPP) congress.

The meeting will include leadership elections and a formal dinner attended by EPP heads of state and government. On Wednesday, Christodoulides is scheduled to speak at the event and hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.

He is expected to return to Cyprus later that evening.