14/01/2026 (Agence Europe) – Cypriot Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna told a group of journalists, including Agence Europe, in Nicosia on Wednesday 14 January that one agenda item of the informal European Council to be held in Cyprus on 23 and 24 April will be the implementation of the Pact for the Mediterranean (see EUROPE 13732/2). “The aim is to invite the ten Southern Neighbourhood countries to take part in the European Council”, she explained. The minister said that the Presidency was working with the European Commission to ensure that the first projects carried out under the Pact would be announced at the summit. She expressed her hope that this would be the case for creating a European fire-fighting platform, based in Cyprus - most likely in Paphos - covering the whole region and aimed at facilitating risk management in the Mediterranean. (CG)