EU Ambassador holds a joint press conference with her Cypriot counterpart to mark the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council
EU Ambassador to Kuwait said during the press conference ‘that the Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates every six months, with each Member State setting the priorities for the EU's agenda. The Presidency plays a key role in driving the EU’s legislative agenda and facilitating agreement between member states. In this context, the Presidency also plays an important role in advancing our collective foreign policy objectives.
The Cypriot Presidency comes in a year, which will be remarkable for EU-Kuwait relations, as we celebrate this year the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kuwait and the EU. The EU-Kuwait relations are developing in many sectors. We are also looking forward to engaging with Kuwait to negotiate a bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement which will further elevate our bilateral relations.
During the Kuwaiti Presidency of the GCC last year, Kuwait played a key role in driving forward the outcomes of the first EU-GCC Summit, which took place in Brussels in October 2024. As a concrete example, Kuwait successfully hosted in 2025 the 29th Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting between the 27 European Union Member States and the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It also hosted the 9th EU-GCC Business forum.
The EU Delegation plays an important role in organizing and hosting regular meetings at the level of heads of missions of EU Member states represented in Kuwait, which provides a platform for EU member states to exchange views and coordinate their work in Kuwait. In this context, we look forward to working closely with our Cypriot colleagues during the coming six months in order to assist them in achieving the objectives and priorities of the EU’s Cypriot presidency.
This year starts on a positive note with the first phase of the Comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict is still holding. The EU is really keen on the establishment of a lasting ceasefire and the unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza. As for Ukraine, unfortunately the year starts with the continuation of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
To conclude, I would like to avail of this opportunity to extend my best wishes to the Cypriot Ambassador and the Cypriot Embassy in Kuwait during the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council. We look forward to cooperating with our Cypriot colleagues over the following months and would like to wish them the best of luck for the presidency.
European Union, 2026