Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani will be in Limassol (Cyprus) on 27 and 28 May to take part in a Business Round Table and the “Gymnich”, the informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the European Union.
This afternoon, Minister Tajani will first participate in the Italy-Cyprus Business Round Table, organised in preparation for a subsequent and more wide-ranging Business Forum between the two countries. In 2025, bilateral trade between Italy and Cyprus exceeded EUR 1.2 billion, marking growth of approximately 7% compared to the previous year. The meeting, to be held in the presence of Italian System agencies and selected representatives of the Italian and Cypriot business communities, will provide an opportunity to highlight the dynamism of bilateral economic relations and to explore opportunities for further growth in commercial and industrial cooperation, also in light of the significant energy ties between the two countries.
The Gymnich meeting on 28 May will begin with a discussion among European Ministers, with the participation of Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, focusing on the crisis in the Middle East and the Gulf, its global impact and its military and economic implications, as well as on possible joint solutions in support of the negotiating process and the full restoration of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The occasion will also provide an opportunity to address the situation in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.
The meeting will continue among EU Ministers with an exchange of views on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including a reflection on the European interests at stake, as well as on ways of exerting pressure on Moscow to engage in negotiations in good faith, through sanctions measures and diplomatic initiatives.
Lastly, the future European Security Strategy, announced by the European Commission earlier this year and currently being defined, will be at the centre of the informal discussions among European Foreign Ministers.
