Christodoulides Meets Meloni in Italy: Partnership Document to Be Prepared

According to Fileleftheros, the two leaders agreed to move forward with a partnership relations document aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation between the two countries. The newspaper reported that the talks gave fresh momentum to bilateral relations and reflected the close and constructive cooperation between Christodoulides and Meloni.

The report noted that Italy recognises South Cyprus’s role in the Middle East and in advancing the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) project, a point highlighted by Meloni during the meeting. Christodoulides travelled to Rome with the aim of upgrading the level of bilateral cooperation and secured a positive response from the Italian government.

In statements following the talks, Meloni underlined that strengthening bilateral relations was a shared and strong objective.

Christodoulides said the meeting confirmed the excellent cooperation between the two leaders and their countries, as well as their open and sincere dialogue. He announced that an important and strategic decision had been taken jointly to begin work on a partnership document, stressing that discussions would proceed swiftly and within a positive framework.

He added that the document would define common objectives and that both sides would work quickly to complete it in the near future. Christodoulides also said there was full agreement that, as part of the EU and as countries in a region facing challenges but also major opportunities, they could not remain mere observers of developments.

He stressed that both sides were obliged to take initiatives that deliver tangible results, noting that this was a shared message consistently conveyed at the European level.

The newspaper reported that South Cyprus and Italy are cooperating closely on the implementation of the EU strategy for islands and coastal communities, which is expected to be promoted during South Cyprus’s EU Council presidency. The two countries are also in close contact on migration and competitiveness, approaching these issues with similar seriousness and perspectives.

Christodoulides noted that there were also shared approaches on other EU agenda items and underlined that these challenges would be ones on which member states would be judged by their citizens.

During his contacts in Italy, Christodoulides also raised the Cyprus issue. He argued that Italy, which maintains very good relations with Turkey, could help efforts aimed at achieving a mutually beneficial outcome through a settlement of the Cyprus problem and at fostering positive developments in EU–Turkey relations.

In his closing remarks, Christodoulides thanked Meloni for the close and sincere relationship and cooperation they had built, as well as for her determined leadership at a critical time for Europe and the Mediterranean.

Meloni, for her part, said the two countries were “on the same wavelength.” Referring to the summit held in Paphos and Christodoulides’s role in achieving positive outcomes, she congratulated him on the decision to invite Mediterranean countries’ representatives to the April summit meeting.

She also said that South Cyprus and Italy shared common positions on many issues on the European agenda and thanked Christodoulides for his innovative proposals on migration. Meloni noted that the two sides were working together on combating irregular mass migration and strengthening the protection of the EU’s external borders.

She added that discussions also covered energy security, the development of digital infrastructure, and submarine interconnections, and concluded by saying that Italy strongly believed in the significant benefits of the IMEC project.