The fifth Southern EU countries (MED7) Summit on January 29 in Nicosia will discuss migration, Brexit, eurozone reform, Europe’s energy security and climate change as a matter of priority.
Attending the summit will be France President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa and Italian PM Giuseppe Conte.
The seven states participating in the Summit are France, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.
Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades will hold bilateral meetings with Macron, Costa and Conte.
Spain will be represented at the Summit by Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, as its Prime Minister will be on a visit to Mexico.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Christodoulides said the Summit will focus on issues which concern the EU.
Christodoulides also described Anastasiades’ bilateral meetings with Costa, Macron and Conte as very important, adding that a lot of issues of mutual interest are expected to be discussed.
French energy firm TOTAL and Italy’s ENI are exploring for hydrocarbons offshore Cyprus so energy will be a focus of the summit.
“We are holding contacts with a view to expand the cooperation of the two countries (France and Italy) within the Republic of Cyprus EEZ and this will surely be one of the issues discussed during the bilateral meetings which Anastasiades will have with Macron and Conte,” said Christodoulides
Moreover, he said, the EastMed gas pipeline issue will be discussed during Anastasiades meeting with Conte.
Christodoulides said the seven countries will discuss how the EU can through certain actions enhance its energy autonomy and independence.
With regard to the Macron meeting he said Cyprus in September, Cyprus and France agreed to begin discussions with a view to conclude certain bilateral agreements on energy, defence, security and other issues.
He went on to say that Anastasiades and Macron will review the progress achieved so far and will decide whether any announcements will be made.
Announcements could be made after bilateral talks in Paris, expected to take place before the end of March.
“We are following developments in Britain very closely. The issue is continuously being discussed at the European level and it is very important that the EU27 have a common approach on it,” Christodoulides said.
He said that migration has a bigger impact on the EU Mediterranean countries than on the other EU member states, and the aim of the discussion is to outline very concrete suggestions and positions.
“The goal, which I believe is perfectly feasible, is to for the seven countries to have a common approach.”
