11th MED9 Summit Kicks Off in Paphos

11th MED9 Summit Kicks Off in Paphos

President Christodoulides Hosts Mediterranean and European Leaders for Critical Talks on Regional and Global Challenges

The 11th Summit of Mediterranean EU Member States (MED9) began just before noon at the Minthis Resort in Paphos. President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, welcomed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, followed shortly by King Abdullah II of Jordan and his son, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah.

According to the schedule, President Christodoulides will first hold a bilateral meeting with the King of Jordan early in the afternoon. Later, he will greet other heads of state arriving for the summit.

As announced by the Press and Information Office, the summit, chaired by the Republic of Cyprus, will be attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, and Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.

It is also noted that the King of Jordan and the Crown Prince will participate in part of the MED9 summit's proceedings, along with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Spain’s Secretary of State for European Affairs, Fernando Sampedro.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Christodoulides will hold private discussions with King Abdullah and bilateral meetings with his European counterparts. Additionally, a four-way meeting will take place between the President, the King of Jordan, the Prime Minister of Italy, and the President of the European Commission.

The leaders' discussions will primarily focus on the alarming developments in the Middle East, the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, and the resulting political, economic, and social pressures. These issues will be at the forefront as the MED9 leaders seek coordinated responses to these shared challenges.

Furthermore, the leaders will address MED9 countries' priorities in the upcoming European Union institutional cycle, with an emphasis on the Strategic Agenda 2024-2029. The goal is to ensure the Mediterranean remains central to the EU's agenda.

The summit's program includes a working lunch focusing on the situation in the Middle East and two working sessions discussing EU-Jordan relations and Mediterranean priorities in the context of the EU's new institutional cycle.

The summit's proceedings will conclude in the afternoon with the release of a Joint Declaration and a joint press conference held by the heads of state and government.

A heavy police presence is noticeable, with a police helicopter patrolling the airspace above the summit venue.

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