Important to open negotiation clusters for Ukraine's accession to the EU in 2026 – FM Sybiha
Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Cyprus Andriy Sybiha and Konstantinos Kombos have discussed the priorities of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU, with Sybiha emphasizing the importance of opening negotiation clusters in 2026.
"Today in Nicosia, as part of the visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to Cyprus, I held a very meaningful meeting with my Cypriot colleague Konstantinos Kombos. I am glad that the Ukrainian delegation led by President Zelensky is participating in the official opening of the Cyprus presidency of the Council of the EU," Sybiha said on Telegram on Wednesday.
According to him, the parties discussed the priorities of the Cyprus presidency. "I am grateful that the issues of Ukraine and our accession to the EU are among the main ones on the agenda. I emphasized the importance of opening negotiation clusters in 2026, and the role of Cyprus in this is extremely important," Sybiha said.
He also reported that the recent dynamics of the peace process were discussed in detail. "I informed about Ukraine's approach and proposals, the leading role of the United States and Europe's involvement in peace efforts, pressure on Russia, as well as the need for reliable security guarantees for Ukraine," he noted.
"We devoted a significant part of our conversation to bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and Cyprus, in particular in the field of security and defense, joint efforts using EU instruments, as well as the role of Cyprus in strengthening European security," Sybiga added.
According to him, the issues of Ukraine's reconstruction and energy stability in the face of ongoing Russian attacks, humanitarian support, sanctions policy, and the use of frozen Russian assets for defense and reconstruction were also discussed.
"Ukraine values Cyprus as a reliable partner and looks forward to strengthening our bilateral cooperation, as well as strengthening EU unity and bringing about lasting peace during the Cyprus presidency of the European Union," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister noted.
