Foreign Minister of Cyprus to visit Finland

Press release 107/2012
9 May 2012

Foreign Minister of Cyprus Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis will visit Finland on 10 May on the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja. Kozakou-Marcoullis will also meet with President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö, Speaker of Parliament Eero Heinäluoma, Chair of the Parliamentary Grand Committee Miapetra Kumpula-Natri and Chair of the Parliamentary Finnish-Cyprian friendship group, Member of Parliament Satu Haapanen.

Discussions with Minister for Foreign Affairs Tuomioja will cover topics such as the EU Presidency of Cyprus, the negotiations for reunification of Cyprus, and the eastern Mediterranean. With President of the Republic Niinistö, Foreign Minister Kozakou-Marcoullis will discuss the negotiations for reunification of Cyprus, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, and Russia.

Cyprus will begin its first EU Presidency on 1 July 2012. The EU agenda is currently dominated by solving the economic crisis, the EU financial framework 2014-2020 and enlargement of the Schengen area, which will remain important themes during the Cyprian Presidency. Cyprus, only 110 kilometres from Syria by sea, has named southern neighbourhood of the EU as another key theme.

Further information: Advisor to the Foreign Minister Katja Pehrman, tel. +358 40 181 9257, and Counsellor Anna-Mari Hämäläinen, tel. +358 40 132 1276