Xavier Bettel Emphasises Member Unity at EU Council of General Affairs

On Monday 26 January 2026, Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Xavier Bettel, participated in the meeting of the European Union Council of General Affairs (CGA) in Brussels.

According to the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Foreign Trade, the meeting provided an opportunity for the Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna, to present the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which holds the presidency from 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2026.

In his address, Minister Bettel expressed Luxembourg’s full support for the Cypriot Presidency. He emphasised the importance of unity among Member States, citing Denmark’s example regarding Greenland. He also thanked the Presidency for prioritising open strategic autonomy, highlighting that dependencies on third countries must be reduced.

During the agenda item on the annual rule-of-law dialogue, the ministers exchanged views on the state of the rule of law in Denmark, Estonia, Greece and Spain, based on the annual report published by the European Commission. Minister Bettel spoke on behalf of the Benelux.