The European Council’s President-designate Antonio Costa is to visit Cyprus on Wednesday, Cypriot government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said.

Costa’s visit comes as part of a European tour being carried out before he officially takes over from incumbent president Charles Michel in December, with visits to all 27 European Union member states planned.

The stated purpose of Costa’s visit is to “formulate policies and common approaches for the next critical period for the EU’s institutions”.

On Wednesday, Costa will be received by President Nikos Christodoulides at the presidential palace, where they will hold a private meeting.

He will then visit Nicosia’s old town and be given a tour along the Green Line, before holding a working lunch with his delegation and one from Cyprus’ government.

Letymbiotis said the visit “takes place at a time when the EU itself is called upon to define the main priorities of the next period, and also at a time when the United Nations secretary-general [Antonio Guterres] took an initiative with the aim of resuming negotiations on the Cyprus problem.”

To this end, he said that within Guterres’ plans, “the EU’s supporting role in this new initiative will be decisive and essential”.

Costa will officially become European Council President on December 1, having served for eight and a half years as prime minister of Portugal prior to his resignation in April.

His appointment is his second job within the EU’s institutions, with him having served as a member of the European parliament and one of its 14 vice presidents for nine months between 2004 and 2005 before being appointed as Portugal’s interior minister.