Christodoulides attends informal European Council on EU competitiveness

President Nikos Christodoulides attended an informal European Council meeting in Belgium focused on enhancing the European Union's economic competitiveness. The summit involved leaders from all 27 member states and included presentations by former Italian Prime Ministers Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta on deepening the single market. Cyprus joined 22 other member states in signing a joint letter calling for immediate action on economic performance. Christodoulides presented eight specific proposals from Cyprus aimed at strengthening the bloc's strategic autonomy through economic growth. He emphasized that completing the Single Market for 450 million citizens is a critical asset for the Union. During the event, the President met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to discuss the latter's recent talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Further discussions were held with Mediterranean EU leaders regarding the situation in Gaza ahead of an upcoming meeting in Washington. The Cypriot President also participated in a focused meeting on competitiveness convened by the German, Italian, and Belgian leaders.