Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha: "Started my Gymnich visit to Cyprus by meeting with my Dutch colleague and friend Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Tom Berendsen.

Our shared goal is to give Ukraine’s EU accession process a real start — to begin technical procedures for opening Cluster 1: Fundamentals. And our shared view is clear: the time for this is now. We agreed to push forward — and to do so urgently.

Of course, we also touched upon our peace efforts and the new European role within them. Here too, the time is now — because Europe has real leverage and can make a real difference.

Symbolically, Tom and I met at a Limassol gallery currently hosting an exhibition on Ukraine by the talented Dutch photographer Eddy van Wessel, who has visited Ukraine 17 times since 2022.

His black-and-white photos show more than war. They tell people’s stories. They capture Ukraine’s dignity and resilience. In a way, they capture the new Europe.

A fitting beginning to this important Gymnich".