President Nikos Christodoulides will meet European Council President Antonio Costa at the presidential palace on Friday morning, with the EU’s next long-term budget and the Cyprus problem expected to dominate discussions.

Costa is due to arrive at the presidential palace at 9am as part of his tour of EU member state capitals. The two presidents will first hold a private meeting, followed by expanded talks, before making statements to the media at 10.35am.

Government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Thursday that the visit comes at an important time for the EU and at a critical juncture in efforts to restart substantive negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

At the centre of discussions will be the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034.

“During the Cyprus Presidency, substantial progress was made and the groundwork was laid for the final phase of political negotiations, with the aim of reaching an agreement by the end of 2026,” Letymbiotis said.

He said Cyprus would enter the talks with “specific positions and clear demands”, seeking an ambitious and fair EU budget that addresses new challenges, including security and competitiveness, while recognising the particular needs of small island states.

Nicosia is also placing particular emphasis on safeguarding national allocations under cohesion policy, the Common Agricultural Policy and migration funding.

EU enlargement, competitiveness, migration and developments in Ukraine, the Middle East and the Gulf will also be discussed.

Christodoulides will brief Costa on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem, including efforts to resume substantive negotiations, the recent visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Cyprus and increased EU involvement.

This includes the role of European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, who has taken on the role of the EU’s special envoy for the Cyprus problem.

Letymbiotis said Friday’s meeting would provide another opportunity for substantive discussion on major European issues, as well as matters of particular importance to Cyprus.