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President participates in EUMED9 Summit in Spain

09/12/2022 10:06

Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, participates on Friday in the Summit of the nine EU Mediterranean member states (EUMED9) in Alicante, Spain.

The current EU energy and economic challenges will primarily be discussed at the Summit, that will be attended, apart from the Prime Minister of Spain, who is hosting it, also by the leaders of Greece, France, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Croatia and Slovenia. 

Government Spokesperson, Marios Pelekanos, has said in a written statement that ways of coordination of the Mediterranean partners of the EU will be sought, with a view to secure a powerful European response to these challenges, taking into consideration the interests of the Mediterranean.

He also said that among the main issues on the agenda are those related to the role of the Mediterranean for the Future of Europe, the EU strategic autonomy focusing on the energy sector and the future of EU economic governance. 

The exchange of views on the energy strategic autonomy of the EU will focus on the measures taken which could tackle the rapid increase of the energy and electricity price, both at EU and national level. Moreover, it will focus on the efforts underway to lift dependency on Russia and to find alternative resources for the EU, among which are the prospects for a pipeline in the Eastern Mediterranean and the electric interconnections, via which renewable energy resources as well as other types of green energy, as hydrogen, can be used.

Pelekanos said that the leaders will also discuss the future of EU economic governance, in light of high inflation and generally the economic pressure which EU member states are facing and will seek solutions that could be given at European level, in the framework of the fiscal policy. 

The leaders will make statements to the media after the conclusion of the Summit on Friday evening.