Category: Cyprus News Agency

The government’s current total investment in housing schemes has exceeded pound 300 million, and more than 5,500 new residential units are being added to the market, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday.

In a recorded video message regarding the government’s housing policy, the President referred to the two new schemes that have been announced, noting that these offer additional opportunities to young people ‘and demonstrate in practice that housing is one of our government’s most important priorities.’

He explained that the first scheme allows family property to be used to build an additional home for children or grandchildren. “In simple terms, a family can use their existing home to build an additional dwelling,'”he said, adding that there is the option to build a new storey, extend the existing home or make use of unused space on their plot. ‘And this option is available even in cases where the permitted building coefficient has already been exhausted,’ he noted.

Referring to the second plan, he said that it provides for the development of state-owned land to the benefit of young families. ‘Specifically, we are making state-owned plots available at a sale price of just 25 per cent of their value,’ he noted, adding that, as a first step, 570 plots are being made available across all districts, with further allocations to follow.

‘For a young family, this clearly means lower costs for acquiring land and, clearly, more opportunities to go ahead with building their own home,’ said President Christodoulides.

He went on to note that, since the start of this administration, more than 10 housing schemes have been designed, put out to tender and implemented, with the total investment exceeding 300 million euros, and more than 5,500 new housing units have been added to the market.

At the same time, he continued, the new fast-track licensing procedures we have adopted have been utilised by more than 15,000 families. “Our vision of affordable housing for all is being put into practice,” he emphasised, adding that the aim is to have “more homes, faster planning permission procedures, the development of state-owned land, collaboration with the private sector, and measures that offer real solutions to citizens.’

In conclusion, the President of the Republic stated that the government’s aim is to provide substantive solutions for the housing crisis, so that home ownership offers security and stability and enables young people and families to plan their future with hope.

The implementation of four new permanent desalination plants in eastern Limassol, Ayia Thekla, Polis Chrysochous and Dhekelia is underway, following a Council of Ministers decision on September 2, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Minister Christos Senekis has said. The four plants will have a combined production capacity of 180,000 cubic metres of water per day.

Speaking on Saturday at the Olive Festival in Anglisides village, in Larnaka district, Senekis said the improved hydrological situation in 2026 had enabled the Government to revise its initial water allocations. Following a Council of Ministers decision last June, an additional 3.5 million cubic metres of water were made available for irrigation, including the Southern Conveyor Project.

“Our aim is to reduce dependence on rainfall and strengthen water security,” Senekis said, noting that a programme of projects worth more than pound 200 million is being implemented for the 2024-2030 period. The programme includes desalination projects, greater use of reclaimed water, measures to reduce water losses and upgrades to water supply networks.

Senekis also said the Ministry was working towards a sustainable and competitive agricultural sector, with the 2023-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), backed by total funding of pound 454 million, serving as a key instrument in this effort.

He said the strong interest in investment measures and support for the establishment of young farmers, with applications for subsidies totalling approximately pound 210 million, demonstrated a willingness to invest in and modernise Cyprus’ agricultural sector.

Senekis added that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and interested banking institutions, a new financial instrument for the agricultural sector had been developed to facilitate farmers’ access to financing on more favourable terms.

Referring to the next Common Agricultural Policy, Senekis said an open consultation with the farming community will begin on October 8, with the aim of ensuring that the next CAP addresses the actual needs of Cyprus’ agricultural sector.

Shipping Deputy Minister to the President, Marina Hadjimanolis, pays a working visit to London on September 13-15, during which she will participate in the 18th Annual Capital Link Shipping and Marine Services Forum and hold a series of meetings with a government official and senior shipping industry executives.

According to a press release by the Shipping Deputy Ministry, Hadjimanolis’ participation in the forum aims, among others, to promote Cyprus as a reliable and competitive international shipping centre. Capital Link is an internationally recognised institution in the global shipping sector, providing a platform for dialogue and networking among government officials, institutional stakeholders and representatives of the shipping and business communities.

During her stay in the British capital, Hadjimanolis will hold a bilateral meeting with her UK counterpart, Keir Mather, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State responsible for Aviation, Maritime and Logistics.

The meeting will focus on further strengthening bilateral relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom and exchanging views on the challenges currently facing global shipping.

Hadjimanolis will also meet senior executives of shipping companies to discuss strengthening cooperation and promoting the Cyprus ship registry and the country’s shipping sector more broadly, it is noted.

Tourism Deputy Minister, Costas Koumis, has called on the international community and EU to exert pressure for the termination of the illegal Turkish occupation in Cyprus, pointing out that Ankara is called upon to abandon positions that are not within the agreed framework of a Cyprus solution and to contribute to the efforts for peace.

Addressing an event on Sunday for the occupied Acheritou community, the Deputy Minister also noted that Cyprus will continue to demand full cooperation from Turkey as regards the fate of the missing persons in Cyprus. He pointed out that this is an obligation both to the families and to humanity.

He vowed that the President of the Republic and the government are persistently continuing their efforts to resume substantive negotiations and achieve a comprehensive, functional, and viable solution, based on UN Security Council resolutions, the agreed framework, international law and the principles and values of the European Union.

He said that the solution must end the occupation and division, reunite our homeland and our people, and create conditions of peace, freedom, and security for all the lawful inhabitants of the island.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President, Raffaele Fitto, acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.

Since 1974, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown. A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

Cyprus Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Marinos Moushouttas, will sign in Vienna a Memorandum of Cooperation on nuclear safety the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi.

According to a press release issued the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, Mousiouttas, is flying to Vienna on Sunday to represent the Republic of Cyprus at the IAEA General Conference, where will deliver the Republic of Cyprus’s National Statement .

During his visit, the Minister will hold a tete-a-tete meeting with the IAEA Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of nuclear security, with particular emphasis on utilising the capabilities of the Cyprus based CYCLOPS centre as the Agency’s regional training centre, the press release said.

It noted that CYCLOPS(Cyprus Centre for Land, Open-seas and Port Security) is a training centre owned by the Republic of Cyprus, based in Larnaka. The project has been implemented in close cooperation with the US administration, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed on 12 September 2020 between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States of America.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 13/09/2026 UNTIL 1200 14/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1012hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather over the coastal areas will be mainly fine but tonight and early morning increased low cloud will be present at times with risk of local mist and/or fog patches.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night Northwest 3 to 4, gradually near the coast Northwest to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest to Northwest 3, gradually 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Afternoon Southwest 4, locally 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

Night Southwest to West 3 to 4, gradually Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3, gradually South to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon South to Southwest 3 to 4, locally 4 Smooth to Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3, gradually Variable Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3, gradually Southeast to Southwest Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Smooth to Slight

Night South to Southwest 3 to 4, gradually near the coast Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southwest to West 3 to 4, soon offshore 4 Smooth to Slight

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 13/09/2026 UNTIL 0600 14/09/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1010hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine but tonight and early morning increased low cloud will be present at times with risk of local mist.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist

Sea surface temperature: 29°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon West to Northwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Slight

Night Northwest 3 to 4, gradually North to Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Morning Northeast to Southeast 3, gradually Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southwest 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Southwest to West 3 to 4, gradually Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3, gradually Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon South to Southwest 3 to 4, at times offshore 4 Slight

Night Southwest to Northwest 3 Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southwest to Northwest 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

??use Speaker Annita Demetriou is traveling to Andorra Sunday to participate in the 19th Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of Small European States, hosted by the country’s parliament on September 14 and 15. On the sidelines of the Conference, the House President will hold a bilateral meeting with the Speaker of the Icelandic Parliament, Thorunn Sveinbjarnardottir, a press release by issued the parliament said on Saturday.

The Conference will address the role of parliamentary diplomacy within the current European and international context, as well as the strengthening and balancing of executive and legislative powers and the implications for modern democratic systems.

Discussions will also cover the risks and opportunities arising from the use of artificial intelligence in the context of parliamentary work and the functioning of democracy.

The press release also said that following the decision reached during the 18th Conference held in Nicosia in 2025, at the initiative of the President of the House Annita Demetriou, the Speakers or their representatives will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to institutionalize cooperation among the participating parliaments.

The Conference will conclude with the adoption of a Joint Declaration and a joint press conference.

Temperatures in Cyprus are expected to gradually fall by three to four degrees Celsius by Tuesday, while there is a slight chance of localized rain in mountainous areas over the coming days, although no significant rainfall is forecast.

Meteorological Officer, Andreas Chrysanthou, has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that there is a slight chance of rain in mountainous areas on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Any rainfall is expected to result from local cloud development and is unlikely to be significant.

Across most of the island the weather will remain mainly fine, with occasional cloud cover. Increased humidity, low cloud and patches of fog are expected during the morning hours.

Chrysanthou said temperatures on Saturday are expected to reach around 38 degrees Celsius inland, between 32 and 34 degrees along the coast, and 28 to 29 degrees in the higher mountains.

Temperatures on Sunday are expected to remain at roughly the same levels before beginning to decline gradually. By Tuesday, they are forecast to fall by three to four degrees, returning to around the seasonal average.

No significant rainfall is expected over the next three to four days. Chrysanthou said that there will be increased humidity in the morning, low clouds and fog will form locally.

Fog is expected to be more noticeable in eastern areas, particularly in Larnaca and Famagusta districts, as well as inland.

The government will announce a new housing scheme in the coming days, according to the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides

Addressing on Saturday an awards ceremony for High-Achieving Graduates from Mountain Communities for the 2025-2026 school year the President of the Republic said that “in just a few days time, we will announce another new housing scheme, tailored to the specific needs of the people in mountain communities.”

He added that the scheme had been drawn up by the Commissioner for the Development of Mountain Communities in collaboration with the Minister of the Interior, ‘after first listening to all of you, because it is important that the schemes we announce meet your own needs and expectations’.

He referred to the two housing schemes approved by the Council of Ministers on Thursday, one of which provides for the allocation of 570 state-owned plots at a price reduced by 75 per cent of their value. The second provides for incentives to be granted to families to make use of an existing dwelling or plot of land, specifically to meet the housing needs of members of the same family, regardless of whether the building coefficient has been exceeded.

Apart from the third housing plan for residents of mountain communities, the President pointed out that there would soon be new announcements aimed at strengthening the welfare state, whilst adding that the private sector “wishes to support this major effort.”

Referring to the housing issue, the President of the Republic described it as a major challenge not only for Cyprus but also for Greece and the whole of Europe.

‘We are well aware that this is one of the most important issues concerning and troubling young people and young families,’ he said, noting that since the very beginning of his administration, more than ten housing schemes have been announced, more than 300 million euros have been invested, and more than 5,500 new housing units are under construction and will be added to the market.