Cyprus will soon lead the Council of the European Union. This important job starts in 2026. President Nikos Christodoulides says Cyprus is ready. For six months, Cyprus will lead EU meetings. It will help develop important new rules. Defence matters will be a main focus. Preparations are finished at the Cyprus conference centre. Nineteen new ideas have been made. However, leading the EU is not easy. The dispute with Turkey is a big challenge.
The EU presidency is a key part of how the EU works. Each member state gets a turn to lead. This helps them share their ideas. For Cyprus, this presidency is a chance to be more important in the EU. President Christodoulides believes a good presidency will help Cyprus. The government has worked hard. They improved their conference centre. They also talked with all 26 EU countries. They met with the European Commission and Parliament. A recent trip to Kyiv showed Cyprus supports Ukraine.
However, the Cyprus problem causes difficulties. Turkey wants to join the EU. Its relationship with the EU is linked to Cyprus. Cyprus and Greece have stopped some EU defence talks with Turkey. They did not let Turkey join the European Defence Agency. Some NATO and EU officials worry. They think this could harm defence plans.
This situation could affect the EU's defence program. It is called SAFE. It has a budget of €150 billion. It could also make it harder for the EU and NATO to work together. Turkey has also stopped sharing secret information. This is because it was left out of some defence plans. Turkish officials expect slow progress for Turkey in the EU and NATO. This will happen during Cyprus' presidency.
Cyprus wants to help Europe become stronger. President Christodoulides wants an EU that works with the world. He plans to talk with Turkey as a candidate country. He also expects Turkey to respect the EU Presidency's role. Cyprus hopes this can improve relations. Perhaps Turkey could join NATO's Partnership for Peace. This could lead to better EU-Turkey cooperation. However, all EU countries must agree to Turkey joining programs like SAFE. Greece and Cyprus are unlikely to change their minds easily. Cyprus must manage difficult international relations. Its presidency success will be judged by its work and how it handles these challenges.