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Engaging with Cyprus before the upcoming Cypriot Presidency
From Wednesday, 15 to Thursday, 16 October 2025, AmCham EU visited Nicosia, Cyprus, ahead of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. As part of AmCham EU’s ongoing efforts to engage with each rotating Presidency, the delegation held high-level meetings with senior Cypriot officials and policymakers across many areas including healthcare, energy, digital, agriculture, foreign affairs and defence.
The visit began on Wednesday, 15 October with a meeting with the Executive Council of AmCham Cyprus, reaffirming the importance of continued transatlantic collaboration at the national level. This was followed by a meeting with Michael Damianos, Minister of Health, during which members discussed the revision of the EU’s General Pharmaceutical Legislation and the importance of resilient health systems in the EU.
In the afternoon, the delegation met with Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs, to discuss the priorities of the upcoming Cypriot Presidency. The exchange focused on how business can support a competitive, open and digitally driven EU agenda.
Continuing on Thursday, 16 October, the delegation began the day with a meeting with Theodora Constantinidou, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The discussion addressed the Cypriot Presidency’s objectives, broader EU-US relations and how Europe can strengthen its position globally.
Next was a meeting with Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment on the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation and the upcoming EU Water Resilience Strategy.
The conversations continued with George Papanastasiou, Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, to discuss the Clean Industrial Deal, the role of low-carbon technologies and how the EU can deliver a more coherent trade and innovation policy framework. Delegates also addressed implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and challenges around intellectual property (IP).
In the afternoon, the delegation met with Nicodemos Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy. The conversation focused on advancing Europe’s digital competitiveness through greater investment in AI, cloud and cybersecurity as well as the importance of research, innovation and IP in driving digital transformation.
The final meeting of the visit was with Elikkos Elia, Acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence. The exchange centred on the future of EU defence programmes and the critical role of American business in supporting the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base.
With the Presidency of the Council of the European Union currently under Denmark, find out what they should focus on for the rest of their mandate.