Category: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus has signed two Council of Europe agreements. The first is the Third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and the second is the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law.

Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Bjørn Berge, wrote on his ‘X’ account “thank you to Cyprus and Ambassador George S. Yiangou for your continued support and commitment, and for signing the Third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law”.

It is noted that the Third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters aims to strengthen the capacity of member and partner states to respond effectively to crime, particularly in a context of rapid political, social and technological change. It supplements and updates the Convention adopted in 1959, as well as its first two Additional Protocols, to adapt them to contemporary challenges.

The main advances include simplification and acceleration of mutual assistance procedures, extending the range of situations in which mutual assistance may be requested and broadening the use of electronic communication channels and video conferencing; enabling the use of technical surveillance tools such as GPS trackers and telecommunications interception; and introducing time limits.

The European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC), which is behind this initiative, had stressed the need to revise certain provisions, particularly in the light of the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and the increasing use of digital tools in judicial cooperation.

Meanwhile, the purpose of the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law is to prevent and combat environmental crime, promote national and international cooperation, and establish minimum legal standards to guide States in their national legislations.

The main goal is the promotion and enhancement of the protection of the environment.

The two RescEU aircraft are already stationed at the European Regional Firefighting Station in Cyprus, which is expected to be inaugurated later this year, Zacharias Giakoumis, Head of Communication at the European Commission’s DG ECHO, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a briefing in Nicosia on the EU’s preparations ahead of the 2026 wildfire season, Giakoumis said the Commission’s package includes 27 aerial firefighting assets, 22 aircraft and five helicopters, as well as 787 firefighters from 14 countries, who will be pre-positioned in six countries.

For the first time, he added, European firefighters will also be pre-positioned in Cyprus, with 15 expected to be stationed on the island for an initial two-week period.

Replying to a question, Giakoumis said the President of the Republic is in contact with the European Commission to set the date for the inauguration of the Cyprus station.

He said the two RescEU aircraft are already at the station and are expected to be operational from June 15 to October 31. The station, he added, will host a total of six aircraft of the same type, one of which will be used for training purposes. Further details on staffing and equipment will be announced at the inauguration.

Giakoumis said the station will have a wider regional role, focusing on cooperation with countries outside the European Union and on strengthening operational capacity through joint exercises and other actions.

Referring to the broader EU framework, he said RescEU assets are mobilised through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism when assistance is requested by a country facing a crisis. The European Commission fully covers stationing costs, including personnel, as well as transport costs.

Cyprus, he said, has activated the Mechanism 12 times, seven of them for wildfires from 2016 to 2025, while it has provided assistance through the Mechanism 15 times over the past ten years, mainly for wildfires.

Giakoumis noted that 2025 was the worst wildfire year in the EU in the past two decades, with around one million hectares burned. For Cyprus, he said, it was also the worst recent year, with around 13,000 hectares burned.

For 2026, he said data up to April 30 show a situation close to the 20-year average, but forecasts point to above-average temperatures in the Mediterranean and southern Europe in July, August and September, increasing wildfire risk.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today`s stock exchange meeting as follows:

MEETING DATE: 03/06/2026

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTH

EURO (pound )

TRADED VALUE:

1.374.012,43

INDEX

VALUE

% DIFF.

VALUE (pound )

FTSE/CySE 20

181,210

0,220

1.367.390,930

MAIN MARKET INDEX

240,120

-0,820

1.316.123,880

INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX

3.329,880

-1,950

1.193.732,870

CSE GENERAL INDEX

299,200

-0,420

1.368.413,460

HOTELS INDEX

1.858,120

0,000

0,000

ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX

2.001,000

1,050

52.299,460

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices as compared to the last meeting.

The importance of the Cyprus Trade Union Forum for the effort to building trust and cooperation between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots and the building of a common vision for Cyprus was highlighted during a discussion at the extraordinary meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Workers’ Group held on Wednesday afternoon in the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Nicosia.

In his statement, Andreas Matsas, Secretary General of SEK, noted that the aim of the discussion was to present the reality of Cyprus from the perspective of society and trade unions, an their actively contribution to the effort to resolve the Cyprus problem.

As he noted, the Cypriot reality remains difficult to understand for citizens of other European countries, as the division of the island continues to affect the daily life of citizens.

Matsas stressed that the cooperation of the trade unions has helped to overcome stereotypes and divisions that for decades have characterized the two communities, and maintained continuous cooperation on issues concerning workers and the prospects for the reunification of the country.

“We have succeeded in overcoming our fears. We have succeeded in overcoming our ideological, or any other differences and building a perspective that is beneficial for all Cypriots, regardless of whether they are Greek Cypriots or Turkish Cypriots,” he said. He also noted that through joint studies and declarations, the unions seek to shape the conditions for a unified framework of labour relations and social protection in a reunited Cyprus.

Matsas said that since its inception, the Forum has sought to create a commonly accepted structure of cooperation, with the aim of conveying to political leaders the message that society can move forward through dialogue and common human values.

“The basic premise from the beginning was that we as trade unionists, as a society, should be able to go beyond politicians and be able to send a message on basic human principles and values,” he concluded.

Sotiroula Charalambous, the Pancyprian Federation of Labour (PEO) Secretary General, said that during yesterday’s discussion at the EESC Session, the priorities of the trade union movement in Cyprus regarding the issues of concern to workers had been mentioned, adding that “they are very important, but all of them are overshadowed by the fact that our country remains divided and the ruling class of Cyprus remains divided”.

She said that the trade union movement in Cyprus – the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot trade union organisations – can be described as pioneers in terms of trying to bring workers from the two communities closer together and trying to build a common vision “of how we want Cyprus to be”.

She added that there is an agreement that “division cannot be the future of our country and the future of the workers” and said that efforts have been made through the conferences, the pan-union forum conferences, “to put down on paper what we expect and want from a future solution”.

She stressed the commitment of the trade unions on both sides to a bicommunal federal solution as outlined by the United Nations and by the high-level agreements between the two leaders. “Writing down in the basic principles that we believe the solution should include the right of workers and all Cypriots to move freely and work freely in any part of Cyprus,” she said.

Charalampous noted that what is most important is the resumption of talks, expressing concern that “as long as the situation remains as it is, the division is being perpetuated”.

The importance of public knowledge and information

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The importance of shared knowledge and reliable information as a prerequisite for dialogue and cooperation in divided societies was highlighted in the presentation “Labour Market Guide: why shared knowledge matters” by Maria Zeniou and Erbay Akansoy on behalf of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum Secretariat.

According to the presenters, the lack of shared knowledge is a major obstacle to dialogue, as data is collected and interpreted separately by different communities, creating conflicting perceptions of reality. As a result, information often becomes a tool for division, trust in data is reduced and stakeholder positions become entrenched.

The presentation highlighted the role of the Cyprus Dialogue Forum as a permanent, inclusive and ongoing dialogue process, as well as the role of the Labour Market Task Group, which brings together social partners and organisations from both communities. It was also mentioned that the common objective of the group is to formulate a single and fair framework for the labour market, both in the Cyprus settlement process and in a future reunited Cyprus.

The presentation concluded that the creation of common knowledge contributes to the development of a common perception of reality and, by extension, a common responsibility towards the challenges of the labour market.

Matsas commented that limited knowledge or even the manipulation of knowledge is worse than the absence of knowledge, and expressed the importance of the ability to communicate “to each other in a more genuine way”.

For his part, Cevdet Özgr, representative of TURK-SEN said that discussions between the two communities in relation to working life in the peace process are ongoing, focusing on areas such as education, health and the social security system, while expressing the view that the joint effort of trade unions in the country is of great importance.

MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CYPRUS NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (ICC) WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE ICC

On Friday 29 May, the President of the Cyprus National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Mr. Phidias Pilides, accompanied by the Advisor to the Cyprus National Committee, Mr. Leonidas Paschalides, had a meeting with Mr. John Denton, Secretary General of the ICC and Mr. Alexander Fessas, Secretary General of the International Court of Arbitration of the ICC, who are in Cyprus for a meeting with the President of the Republic who holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first half of 2026.

During the very constructive meeting, the priorities of both the ICC and the Cyprus National Committee were discussed in relation to the main areas of activity of the ICC, that concern international trade and business cooperation at an international level. The ICC officials expressed their appreciation for the work carried out by the Cyprus National Committee and for its contribution to the promotion of the positions and views of the ICC during the Cyprus Presidency. At the same time, the important role played by Cyprus as a bridge between the European Union and the Middle East was highlighted. In addition, there was discussion of ways to further strengthen the presence of the Cyprus National Committee in the activities of the ICC, since this will have a very positive impact on the work carried out by the predominant representative of the business world at an international level.

The ICC officials stated that they look forward to continuing the constructive discussions during the visit of Mr. Phidias Pilides and the President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Stavros Stavrou to Paris on the occasion of the ICC World Council meeting that will be held on June 11.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 03/06/2026 UNTIL 1800 04/06/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1014hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but tonight and tomorrow morning, locally increased low cloud coverage will be present.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist

Sea surface temperature: 23°C

Warnings: NIL

President of the Association of Cyprus Tourist Enterprises (ACTE), Akis Vavlitis, expressed on Wednesday cautious optimism that conditions in Cyprus’s tourism sector will improve following decisions by the US and the UK to reinstate Cyprus to the lowest travel advisory level (Level 1), noting that the impact of this development will become clear in the next two to three weeks.

In statements to CNA, ACTE President said that this development has pleased the tourism industry and added that ‘it will become clear in two to three weeks to which extent this change in travel guidelines has affected us in a positive way.’

He noted that, apart from the fact that the United Kingdom is the largest market for Cyprus, this development is clearly a psychological factor for both European and Middle East countries.

‘There is cautious optimism that things will improve due to the decisions taken by the US and the UK, but we will see over the next two to three weeks to which extent this will impact the situation in a positive way,’ he said.

If booking numbers increase, it means that this has been a factor affecting bookings, he added.

Regarding the UK, Vavlitis said that ‘we have been saying for years now that it’s wrong to rely solely on one market,’ and that ways must be found to diversify the situation.

He noted that Cyprus’s top tourism market, the UK, is vastly different from the second-largest, which is Israel.

He said that in the past, before the war in Ukraine, we had the counterbalance of the Russian market and added that ‘in recent years, normality has become the exception; that is, crises occur more frequently and are unpredictable and more severe.’

Vavlitis added that in a presentation he made to the relevant authorities and the President of the Republic, based on a study by a major international firm, he noted that the next major tourism market will be India.

‘It is not an easy undertaking, as we have to identify the product that Indian tourists want and reach agreements,’ he noted, adding that ‘we must find a way not to rely solely on a single market.’

Regarding the start of the year in terms of tourist arrivals, Vavlitis said that the year began with positive developments in January and February, and that bookings for the entire tourist season were up compared to last year’s tourist season.

He added, however, that the events related to the war in Iran had upended all bookings and forecasts.

‘Today, the situation as regards bookings has improved, that is, we have more bookings than we had a month ago,’ he added.

However, the President of ACTE said that ‘given the current situation, no one knows how this year will end and how much revenue we will lose, both hotels and for economy in general.’

He noted that significant discounts have been granted to tour operators, and this is affecting business profitability.

Increased costs, negotiations with banks, wage increases

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Furthermore, Vavlitis told CNA that hotel businesses are facing increased costs due to price hikes in energy and the supply chain, in general, as well as wage increases for the workforce that were provided for in collective bargaining agreements in April.

He said that the entire hotel industry has implemented the raises without “even considering asking the unions or the government to postpone them’ due to current developments.

He also said that ACTE has been in contact at the highest level with commercial banks and with the President of the Association of Commercial Banks ‘and we have their full support.’

‘For all businesses that have been consistent with the banks to date, we will have the support of the major banks for whatever the industry needs,’ he added.

He noted that this gives the industry cause for optimism that ‘there is at least support from the banks, just as there was support from the government, even if only in April, and we are waiting to see what will happen for May and June.’

Vavlitis said that despite the fact that costs have risen, there have been reductions in accommodation prices, and added that his position, which he also conveyed to the President of the Republic and the relevant Ministers, is that fear (that may be the reason of reduced bookings) ‘doesn’t go away just because you lower prices.’

He noted that these developments have also begun to affect the economies of key source markets, such as Germany and the UK, while inflation has risen and interest rate hikes are expected.

Furthermore, he noted that travel in general is no longer a luxury in recent years but a way of life, and this helps the tourism industry recover relatively quickly from crises.

Reduction in foreign staff

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Vavlitis also said that several hotels have not brought in additional staff from abroad, despite having received approval from the Ministry of Labour, adding that there is interest among workers abroad in working in Cyprus.

President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, is in Astana for the first visit of a Cyprus President to Kazakhstan. At 11 a.m. local time, President Christodoulides, will be received by his counterpart, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at the Palace of Independence. The official welcoming ceremony will be followed by a tête-à-tête meeting between the two Presidents, followed by extended talks between the delegations of the two countries.

Following the extended talks, at around 12.15 the President of Kazakhstan will confer the President of the Republic of Cyprus the Order of Friendship state award. In the presence of the two Presidents, Memoranda of Understanding will be signed between the two countries in the fields of Higher Education and Research, Culture, Sports, Information and Communication Technologies, Cybersecurity and e-Government. An MoU will be signed also between the two Chambers of Cyprus and Kazakhstan.

At 12.15 local time, the President of Kazakhstan and the President of Cyprus will make statements to the media and subsequently President Christodoulides will attend an official lunch hosted in his honor by his counterpart.

In the afternoon, around 5 pm local time, the President of the Republic will visit the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) where the Business Forum will be held under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the International Chamber of Commerce of Kazakhstan.

Shortly after 17:30 local time, President Christodoulides and his delegation will visit the International Center for Artificial Intelligence (Alem.AI) where he will be welcomed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, Zhaslan Madiyev.

At 18:30 local time, President Christodoulides will inaugurate the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Astana. There will be short speeches by the Ambassador of Cyprus to Kazakhstan, Petros Nakouzis, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus and Kazakhstan. An official reception will follow.

The Cyprus delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry Michael Damianos, Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy Nikodimos Damianou, and Deputy Government Spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou. The President of the Republic is accompanied by a trade/business delegation.

Against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s withdrawal from key international scientific cooperation programmes, the European Commission on Wednesday presented the OceanEye initiative, aiming to take a leading role in global ocean observation. As Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis put it, the timing of the announcement could not have been better.

Asked by CNA whether the EU was prepared to mobilise the level of investment needed to fill the gap, Commissioner Kadis acknowledged the scale of the challenge while pointing to the International Alliance as a key instrument. In his opening remarks, he had already flagged “extremely worrying signals coming from the other side of the Atlantic about the dismantling of ocean monitoring systems”, stressing that in this context, positioning the EU at the forefront of ocean observation “is not a goal per se, but a necessity”.

According to reports, the US government is proceeding with the dismantling of the Ocean Observatories Initiative – the deep-sea monitoring system estimated to be worth around pound 320 million that has served as a key source of global ocean and climate data for over a decade.

“OceanEye could not have been announced at a better time,” Kadis said. “We see that the United States administration is no longer paying emphasis on these activities. Therefore, there is a gap, and we will try to cover part of this gap with this initiative,” he stated.

“From tomorrow we start our effort to attract the support of third countries, like-minded countries, international organisations and philanthropies, in order to support the international alliance we are creating,” he added, noting that this would help cover “at least part of the gap that will be created by the approach of the United States.”

“I read the article yesterday and I truly regret this decision,” the Commissioner said, pointing out that “the annual budget of pound 48 million of this monitoring network was small compared to the value of the data it collected.” He described the withdrawal as part of “a continuous dismantling by the US across various domains of international scientific support.”

For her part, Commissioner for Research Ekaterina Zaharieva framed the development not only as a gap but as “a huge opportunity for the European Union to lead”, arguing that “Europe can lead in technology” and create companies that could reach multi-trillion valuations.

Zaharieva also stressed the strategic dimension of the initiative, noting that “the ocean is surely an environmental and economic asset, but it is also a security one.” She announced that technology development would embed “dual-use and security by design considerations from the outset”, aimed at protecting against sabotage and foreign interference. “We want to make our continent the leading global power of secure and responsible ocean intelligence solutions,” she said.

The Commissioner further noted that the ocean observation market is worth between pound 10 and pound 20 billion, growing at 5 to 10% annually, serving a broader business ecosystem valued at up to pound 90 billion. “Every euro invested in ocean observing systems generates a return of pound 5 to pound 6 in economic and societal benefits,” she stressed.

The OceanEye initiative, which forms part of the European Ocean Pact adopted in 2025, is structured around four pillars. The first concerns improved governance for a more unified European approach, with the new framework to be codified in an Ocean Act to be proposed by the end of 2026.

The second focuses on global leadership through an International Alliance to strengthen the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), with particular attention to under-monitored regions such as the Southern Hemisphere, the Arctic and the deep sea.

The third pillar centres on the European Digital Twin Ocean – a virtual representation of the ocean set to be fully operational by 2030 – combined with support for innovation and industrial development. The fourth covers societal engagement and skills development, including the launch of a New European Bauhaus Ocean, Coastal and Island Communities Lab.

The Commission is committing pound 92 million from the Horizon Europe programme: pound 50 million to strengthen GOOS, pound 12 million for data systems, and pound 30 million for innovation through the European Innovation Council. It is also calling on member states, third countries and private actors to join the International Alliance with additional funding commitments and access to observation infrastructure.

Cyprus FM Constantinos Kombos met with his counterpart from Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev, in the framework of President Nikos Christodoulides’ visit to Astana.

Kombos posted on his X that they had a productive meeting about the strengthening of bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation, the opportunities arising from the launch of direct flights between the two countries as well as Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU and EU-Kazakhstan relations.