The cabinet gathered in Troodos on Saturday to discuss the huge task of organising Cyprus EU presidency which will see around 28,000 participants and high-level officials descending on Cyprus over six months starting in January.

“We are less than 120 days from assuming the presidency of the Council of the European Union. [This is] responsibility, an opportunity that presents itself to the member states once every 14 years,” Deputy Minister for Europe Marilena Raouna said after the Cabinet meeting.

She and President Nikos Christodoulides outlined priorities and challenges set for the six-month chairmanship.

Cyprus was to negotiate on behalf of all 27 member states and will inherit more than 330 legislative and other dossiers from Denmark, which currently holds the presidency, the minster said.

This, she added, included crucial tasks including the coordination of the EUs multiannual financial framework, which determines the EU’s budget for the next seven years in what Raouna called a “difficult geopolitical context”.

“This budget will ensure the strategic objectives for a stronger and a more resilient EU that can face future challenges, [equipped with] policies that meet the needs of European citizens,” she said.

Raouna added that during the 181 days of the presidency, Cyprus would host a total of 258 meetings, 80 of which were held at a ministerial level.

“We discussed the organisational aspects [including] the conference and press centre of the presidency, which will host the around 28,000 delegates, and will be completed within the next few days, on schedule, just to begin the final preparations,” she said.

She added that during the meeting, the cabinet also discussed security and transportation issues in the context of the presidency.

“From an organisational point of view this is a huge undertaking,” she said.

Raouna said that as part of the presidency, Cyprus would also be hosting an informal European Council summit, including “all the heads of state or government in the EU”, set to take place from April 23 and 24, 2026.

Christodoulides had earlier at the meeting announced that 84 of the 258 meetings to be held on the island during the presidency would be held in the capital, however adding that the presidency would stretch throughout the island.

“The presidency will concern all provinces,” he said.

He said that before assuming the presidency, Cyprus was expecting several preparatory visits. These included the college of commissioners, composed of commissioners of the 27 EU member states, which are appointed as the European Commission’s political leadership, as well as delegations from the European parliament.

“As far as our own priorities [during the presidency] are concerned, I start with the area of defence and security, (…) there will be several meetings at the level of the European Council,” Christodoulides said.

He added that immigration would be another key priority for Cyprus during its presidency, adding that he was glad to see how figures had developed compared to 2022.

“Our strategy, which we are continuing and strengthening, is delivering results and other EU member states are looking to follow the practices of the Republic of Cyprus,” he said.

Other priorities mentioned by the president included water security and housing.

“[Water security] is an issue on which we want to have meaningful, significant progress, not just a declaration,” Christodoulides said.

In the context of housing, he emphasised that the issue primarily affected the younger generation and mentioned the potential for EU financial support, highlighting that there had been a “tremendous response” from young people to the government’s affordable housing schemes so far.

“In terms of priorities on the EU level, we will act on two fronts,” he said.

The first priority concerned the EU files Cyprus will be taking over from the Danish presidency, with a focus on the multiannual financial framework.

As a second priority, Christodoulides listed the simplification of procedures within the EU, adding that this matter significantly influenced the competitiveness of the EU and the member states.

“And, of course, security and defence issues. And all of this, if we put it in one section in terms of those EU files that are the priority, is about strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy,” he said.

Christodoulides emphasised that assuming the presidency was “the largest national mission” of Cyprus, stressing that it marked a “unique opportunity” to prove that Cyprus “has a say and a role in the EU”.

“It is a unique opportunity to prove even more in practice that the Republic of Cyprus has a say and a role in the EU,” the President said.

Pointing to Friday’s visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Christodoulides emphasised the need for a closer cooperation between Europe and the Middle East.

He added that “the need for the EU to approach the states of the region as partners” had been one of the first things discussed during his meeting with Abdelatty.

“Our priorities are to bring the EU closer to the wider Middle East region,” the president said.

Cyprus EU presidency starts in January 2026 and last for six months.