This transcript was automatically generated and may contain errors.

Good morning.

We have just, started the discussions at the FAC today. We have a very full packed agenda.

We had, completed the first part of the conversation about Ukraine,

and it's very important to remind that Ukraine remains the compass in terms of policy orientation.

For the European Union at the same time we need to make sure that we have the release of the 90 billion loan for Ukraine and also the completion of the adoption of the 20th sanctions package.

On both of those, the presidency will intensify political work and hopefully we have a positive outcome in the next. A few hours.

I also had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Lebanon who we are also meeting as a group in a while.

It's a very important political signal to have Lebanon here.

Lebanon,

the authorities in Lebanon are doing an amazing job in terms of trying to stabilise the country and the stability of Lebanon is important for the stability of the region.

We will be inviting and we will be receiving President Aoun, the informal European Council in the in the next few days,

as I said, as part of the wider political signalling and the tangible support we have to extend towards Lebanon.

Finally, we'll be discussing today the situation in the wider Middle East. There are conflicting information.

There are so many questions and so few answers, and this is part of the problem we're facing as the European Union. Cyprus has been advocating.

Advocating for the closer involvement and engagement of the European Union based on what the President of the Commission and the President of the European Council have said,

namely that the security of the Gulf and the security of the EU are interlinked.

This has been reflected in the priorities of the presidency of the Council by Cyprus,

and this is the point we will be pushing forward in our conversations and discussions today and also during the informalo in the next few days.

OK.