8th December 2025, Nicosia, Cyprus
On 8 December 2025, Strategy International, in cooperation with the Lithuanian Embassy in Greece and Cyprus, and Vytautas Magnus, convened a high-level conference in Nicosia focusing on the upcoming EU Council Presidencies and the European Union’s policy orientations. The discussions assessed continuity and change in the EU agenda ahead of the 2026 but also forthcoming 2026 and 27 Presidency cycles. The event included chatham house rules and closed session event with senior diplomats, former ministers, defence and security officials, parliamentarians, and academic experts to assess priorities, risks, and policy orientations shaping the European Union’s forthcoming Council Presidencies and the broader strategic agenda of the Union.
Discussions highlighted the importance of continuity and coordination among successive EU Council Presidencies, particularly in the context of increasing geopolitical instability, protracted security challenges, and accelerating technological change. Participants emphasised that resilience, security, defence cooperation, digital transformation, migration management, and sustainable growth will remain central policy pillars during the upcoming Presidency cycle.
A core focus of the conference was the reassessment of EU foreign, security, and defence policy, including the effectiveness of CFSP and CSDP decision-making, leadership coordination, capability development, training, and civil–military synergies. Speakers underlined the need to strengthen strategic coherence between EU institutions and Member States, while maintaining a pragmatic balance between EU strategic autonomy and NATO cooperation.
The discussions further addressed emerging and hybrid threats, energy insecurity, cyber and AI resilience, and the implications of geopolitical competition for European stability. Participants stressed that sustaining EU unity and credibility will require long-term strategic planning, institutional adaptability, and improved crisis preparedness, particularly in the EU’s neighbouring regions.
More so, Participants emphasized priorities around resilience, security and defence cooperation, digital and green transitions, migration management, and strengthening the EU’s global role amid intensifying geopolitical competition. The exchange underscored the need for policy coherence, institutional coordination, and strategic foresight in responding to hybrid threats, energy-security risks, and accelerating technological disruption in light also of the EU Presidency of the Republic of Cyprus.
The conference highlighted the importance of aligning EU strategic autonomy and also seeing relations in the euro-atlantic level with the US and NATO, enhancing crisis preparedness, and sustaining unity among Member States.
The conference concluded with an active exchange of views among participants, reaffirming the value of structured dialogue between policy communities, professional, government and the academic sectors. An analytical report capturing the key discussions, policy insights, and recommendations will be published by Strategy International soon.
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