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António, dear, dear friends,

allow me to begin by noting that it is a moment of deep significance to welcome to Cyprus my colleagues from the 26 member states and of course the leadership of the European Union institutions.

This is in fact the first time that Cyprus is hosting an informal meeting of the EU heads of state and government.

It is a moment of pride for my country,

the same sense of pride and responsibility with which we have undertaken our institutional responsibility of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The informal meeting began yesterday in the partially occupied Agustan district at Ayia Napa,

and today we stand together in a, in Ecosia.

In Nicosia, in the European capital,

the last divided in the European continent that serves as a mirror for Europe's greatest challenges and at the same time of its most profound successes.

It is actually this experience of living conditions of occupation that fuels our deep rooted conviction in the European project and further European integration,

and this is precisely what this moment calls for more European integration and a more strategically autonomous,

independent Union.

This is at the heart of our Presidency and encapsulated in our motto a more autonomous union open to the world and this was the common theme underpinning our discussions last night and this morning.

Last night, we began with an exchange with President Zelensky and underlined our steadfast support to Ukraine.

We are very pleased that we have delivered on the 19 billion loan for Ukraine.

A file that the Cyprus Presidency worked with urgency to implement following the December European Council.

Support to Ukraine across the board is a key priority of our Presidency because we stand in defense of international legality wherever it is violated,

and Cyprus has a firsthand understanding of the devastating consequences of invasion and occupation.

Last night, We continue our exchange with addressing the geopolitical developments following the war in Iran and the greater Middle East,

and, most importantly, how we as a Union, respond to de escalation,

for lasting peace, for safeguarding freedom of navigation.

In fact, developments in our region remind us that in an interconnected world,

there is no such thing as a crisis that does not concern us.

The disruption of maritime routes and of freedom of navigation in our region are economic shocks felt in every European household,

and so let me repeat it I reject any narrative that disassociates Europe from these developments,

because this is our neighborhood.

Friends, our discussion these two days highlighted and reinforced two core issues.

First, this neighborhood is vital for the European Union, and second,

strategic autonomy in all its aspects is a necessary next step of European integration that we must give substance to.

In this regard, energy features prominently in our discussions.

On the one hand, in the immediate short term, how we tackle through specific measures, energy prices as a result of the crisis in the region and on the other hand,

in the medium and long run, how we build up our Energy Union,

which is a key component of our Union's independence.

Starting with the short term measures on energy prices, we held a very productive discussion on the basis of the comprehensive and timely toolbox announced by the Commission,

which the President of the Commission presented, and on the long run for building up a true Energy Union,

we worked to accelerate our interconnectivity to effectively end our energy dependency.

In this context, the Cyprus Presidency is working diligently on the grid package.

Hand in hand with this work and serving our overall goal for enhancing our competitiveness,

because we can be more independent, only we can be more competitive.

This morning I signed on behalf of the Council, together with the President of the Commission and the President of Parliament,

the One Market, one Europe roadmap presented by the Commission.

This roadmap is comprehensive, has concrete timelines of delivery and constitutes a strong signal of our collective determination to truly boost European competitiveness,

and the Cyprus Presidency has acted with urgency and ambition on this agenda and will continue tirelessly building consensus to advance a deeper,

stronger single market.

During our discussion, and in light of regional developments and the strong European solidarity in action to Cyprus,

we all agree that our collective security cannot remain a dormant concept on paper.

All of us agreed that when the sovereignty of one Member State is threatened,

the response is not a question of if, but how fast.

Therefore, we cannot continue to rely on ad hoc arrangements.

We must formalize the mutual defense clause into a structured operational mechanism and be capable of transforming political statements into predictable action by operationalizing Article 42.7 through a clear manual.

That ensures that the Union acts as a credible guarantor of security.

We know very well, dear friends,

that we cannot fund the security and prosperity of the future with the tools of the past.

To give true substance to our sovereignty, we must have the financial backbone to support it.

Therefore, today, as António mentioned, we are focusing on the financial equation of the next MFF,

how to match our Union's growing ambitions with the appropriate level of resources.

As the Presidency, we are, we are ready to do the difficult work.

We have led significant groundwork, bringing positions around key issues.

We have already tabled a targeted revision of the negotiating box addressing key issues.

This work provides a solid basis for the next phase of our negotiations.

We will further accelerate and intensify our work in the coming weeks with the aim of presenting,

yes, a negotiating box with figures at the June European Council.

Our objective is clear and we will succeed to deliver a mature file to our Irish partners,

partners so as to move steadily towards a political agreement,

as you very correctly mentioned, António, by the end of 2026.

Dear friends, the informal meeting their friends went to Cyprus. Joined the European Union in 2004.

It was the most important milestone in our modern history following our independence in 1960.

Today, as we host the first European Council in Cyprus, we do so with the conviction that a stronger, more autonomous, independent Europe is the only path forward,

and that this Union has the power, has the resilience,

has the tools and the vision to make it a reality.

We have proven time and again that we transform challenge into opportunity,

and exactly that is what this moment calls for.

That is what we are going to deliver. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, President von der Leyen, you have the floor.