Category: Cyprus News Agency

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 11/05/2026 UNTIL 1800 12/05/2026

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1013hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but locally increased low cloud coverage is likely over the east.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night Northwest to Northeast 2 to 3, gradually East to Southeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning East to Southeast 3, gradually 4 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southeast to South 3 to 4, later Southwest to Northwest Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Night South to Southwest 3, near the coast Northwest to Northeast 2 to 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning South to Southwest 3, gradually Southwest to West Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, later Southwest to West Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Night Southwest to Northwest 2 to 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Southeast to Southwest 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southeast to Southwest 3 to 4, later South to Southwest Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Night Southeast to Southwest 2 to 3, offshore Northwest to Northeast Smooth to Slight

Morning Northwest to Northeast 3, initially near the coast Southeast to Southwest 2 to 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, later Southwest to Northwest Smooth to Slight

Time of issue: 1700 Date: 11/05/2026

UK Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds spoke of a ‘historic moment’, since for the first time since Brexit a UK Minister has been invited to participate in the informal European Affairs Council, held in Nicosia on Monday, under the Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Arriving at the ‘Filoxenia’ Conference Centre in Nicosia, where he will participate at a working lunch, Thomas-Symonds said ‘this is a real historic moment. It’s the first time that a UK minister has been invited to and will speak at this Council since Brexit,’ he said.

He said that it is particularly delightful to be back in Cyprus, since he was here last November to talk about deepening security and economic cooperation.

‘As we see increasing foreign interference in our democracies, and we see the global instability that the world faces at the moment, the message that I’m going to be bringing today is this isn’t a moment to be increasing barriers between like-minded partners. This is a moment to be working together,’ he noted.

Thomas-Symonds added that ‘as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, has been saying, there is a real determination on the part of this government to put us at the heart of Europe. It’s great to be at the heart of Europe today and bring that message that the challenges that we all face, those shared challenges, are better tackled together.’

Risk level for the general population in Europe in relation to Hantavirus is very low, Health Ministry said, noting that the situation is being closely monitored by the competent international and European health authorities.

In a press release issued here on Monday, following the reported cases on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the Cyprus Ministry noted that hantaviruses are a group of viruses that are transmitted mainly through contact with rodents, such as mice and rats, or through contaminated particles from their environment.

It is also clarified that human-to-human transmission is extremely rare and is not a common way of spreading the virus.

According to the risk report by European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the situation is being closely monitored by the competent international and European health authorities, the Ministry said.

It further pointed out that it is in constant communication and cooperation with European and international public health organisations, constantly evaluating all epidemiological data and implementing the required preparedness protocols, where necessary.

The Ministry also reassured the public that the health system remains fully prepared both in terms of laboratory support and management of possible incidents, in accordance with the current action plans for public health.

Moreover it called on the public to obtain information exclusively from official and reliable sources and to avoid reproducing any unconfirmed details.

Europe is in the midst of a housing crisis, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen said Monday, praising the work of the Cyprus EU Presidency in this area, noting however that more needs to be done at a European level.

The Commissioner, who was received in the afternoon by President Nikos Christodoulides, referred to the increase in prices in the energy sector, noting that efforts are underway to address these issues.

Welcoming the Commissioner, President Christodoulides referred to the EU’s housing programmes. Regarding the energy sector, he pointed out that it is a matter of the highest priority for the EU.

Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michael Damianos said on Monday that technologies being tested at the Cyprus Institute’s PROTEAS Facility could in future help address Cyprus’ energy storage needs, while Cyprus Institute President Prof. Stavros Malas said some of the solutions under development are already technologically mature.

Damianos toured the research facility in Pentakomo, where he was briefed on projects involving renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies. He described the work being carried out as ‘excellent’ and stressed the importance of research and innovation for Cyprus.

Asked whether the technologies developed at PROTEAS could provide solutions for energy storage, Damianos said researchers had presented approaches ‘somewhat different from traditional ideas involving batteries’.

He noted that batteries can help cover demand for limited periods after sunset, particularly during peak demand in the late afternoon, while the solutions under study at PROTEAS focus on longer-duration overnight energy storage. He added that substantial investment, particularly from the private sector, would be required before such technologies could be deployed.

For his part, Malas said the technologies being tested at PROTEAS represent ‘a miniature version of what Cyprus should be’, noting that the island’s geographical isolation makes it necessary to explore not only green energy production but also long-term green energy storage solutions.

He said several technologies being tested at the facility are already at an advanced stage and have been implemented in countries including Saudi Arabia, China, Israel and states in North Africa, stressing that Cyprus must accelerate efforts to develop energy storage capacity.

Malas added that green energy technologies are also linked to water production, noting that combined systems for energy, heat and desalinated water production are already being developed at the Pentakomo facility.

According to Malas, a new unit using solar energy for desalinated water production intended for agricultural use is expected to become operational soon. He said funding had already been secured for the project, which he described as part of a broader ecosystem aimed at sustainable energy production, energy storage and support for agriculture.

Malas also said the Cyprus Institute works closely with companies developing technologies at an advanced stage, adding that applied research centres can play a key role in helping products reach the market by supporting cooperation between research institutions and industry.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 11/05/2026 UNTIL 1200 12/05/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1015hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

We need to stand shoulder to shoulder and coordinate our efforts to try to address the extremely negative consequences of the energy crisis for many of our citizens, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen said on Monday afternoon.

Jorgensen was speaking to journalists after a meeting he had at the Presidential Palace with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in the presence of Finance Minister Makis Keravnos and Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michalis Damianos.

The European Commissioner stressed the need for European coordination in addressing the energy crisis, underlining that renewable energy sources can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels. He also referred to housing-related challenges and the impact of short-term rentals.

‘It’s an honour to be here in Cyprus – beautiful Cyprus. We meet in turbulent times, of course, with the energy crisis. That means that we need to work together,’ the Commissioner said.

‘We need to stand shoulder to shoulder and coordinate our efforts to try to address these extremely negative consequences for many of our citizens,’ he noted.

‘One thing that is clear is that the more renewables we have in our system, the more independent we are from fossil fuels, and we need to stay on that course,’ he underlined.

Housing, he said, ‘is also a very important issue, not only for me but also for Cyprus, so I’m very, very happy that the Presidency has chosen to put this high on the agenda.’

‘Tomorrow, we are meeting with the Ministers to discuss some of the challenges we face in the housing sector in Europe,’ he added.

Concluding, the Commissioner referred to the issue of short-term rentals, noting that it is a matter he is particularly engaged with.

‘We want to make it easier for member states to address the problem of short-term rentals that are crowding ordinary people out of their neighbourhoods and that are unfortunately also leading to a major increase in prices in many places,’ he concluded.

The number of registered voters in the upcoming parliamentary elections on May 24th reaches 568,587, Chief Returning Officer announced Monday. He also announced that in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections and the election of the Representative of the Maronite Religious Group at the Parliament, a total of 1,217 polling stations will operate.

The Chief Returning Officer has announced that the number of registered voters by Electoral District is as follows: Nicosia 198,553, Limassol 116,924, Famagusta 116,392, Larnaca 60,489, Paphos 47,384, Kyrenia 28,845, Total 568,587.

It is noted that the above numbers also include 859 Turkish Cypriots, holders of an identity card of the Republic of Cyprus, with an address in the government controlled areas.

It is also clarified that 595 enclaved persons (335 from the Kyrenia Electoral District and 260 from the Famagusta Electoral District) are also entitled to vote, who are not included in the above numbers.

During the upcoming Parliamentary Elections and the Election of the Representative of the Maronite Religious Group, a total of 1,217 polling stations will operate, which are distributed as follows: Nicosia (parliamentary elections 445, Maronite Representative elections 9, total 454), Famagusta (parliamentary elections 59, Maronite Representative elections 0, total 59), Larnaca (parliamentary elections 203, Maronite Represenative elections 1, total 204), Limassol (parliamentary elections 349, Maronite Representative elections 2, total 351), Paphos (parliamentary elections 135, Maronite Representative elections 1, total 136), Abroad (parliamentary elections 13, Maronite Representative elections 1, total 136), 0, Total 13). Parliamentary elections total 1,204, Maronite Representative elections 13, Total 1,217.

EU enlargement is the focus of the second meeting of EU Ministers for European Affairs, who are in Nicosia today as part of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU. The meeting is attended by representatives of candidate countries-Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, North Macedonia, and Kosovo as a potential candidate country. Upon arriving at the Filoxenia conference center, where the Informal Summit is taking place, the countries’ representatives spoke about the importance of EU enlargement and the progress they have made in fulfilling the accession criteria.

Montenegro’s Minister for European Affairs, Maida Gorcevi, said that Montenegro has made significant progress so far regarding the European agenda. As she noted, four chapters have been closed so far, and their main goal is to close all of them by the end of the year.

She thanked the Cypriot Presidency and the member states for organizing the ad hoc working group on the accession treaty. She also said that this year is a decisive one for her country as they are hosting the EU-Western Balkans Summit. She added that ‘this is also the year we will show that Montenegro is ready to join the European Union. I am delighted to be here, and we are very grateful to the Cypriot Presidency.’

Moldova’s representative for European integration, Cristina Gherasimov, said that her country is ready for EU accession by 2030, noting that EU enlargement is a process that ensures the country’s place in a peaceful and prosperous region. ‘We are moving forward with many reforms that are necessary for us to be ready to join the European Union by 2030.’ She also said that in the coming years, the focus will largely be on the rule of law and the reforms that form the backbone of EU accession, adding that ‘we look forward to contributing to unity and a stronger Europe.’

Taras Kachka, Ukraine’s representative responsible for European integration, said that EU enlargement and his country’s accession is a truly important issue today, ‘as Europe must remain united in the face of all challenges and threats.’ He said that in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine and the sensitive situation in the Mediterranean, the common goal is to remain united, and we will discuss the next steps in this process.

‘This is truly a momentum to move forward with integration, so we really appreciate what the Cypriot Presidency is doing to move things forward,’ he added.

North Macedonia’s Minister of European Affairs, Bekim Sali, said that the discussion on enlargement comes at a critical time for European security and stability. He added that this is a very important step for North Macedonia and that they remain committed to fulfilling all the necessary preconditions to complete their integration into the EU.

In a statement upon his arrival at the venue, Kosovo’s accession negotiator Jeton Zulfaj said that Kosovo is the only case that does not have “candidate country” status and has not yet begun accession negotiations. ‘We look forward to discussing this issue,’ he said. He added that they have implemented reforms, adopted European values, and achieved progress in areas such as democracy and the economy. ‘We are fully aligned with the common foreign and security policy. We believe the time has come for Kosovo to be granted candidate status and for accession negotiations to begin,’ he said.

The Republic of Cyprus currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU for a six-month term that started on January 1st, 2026, as part of a Trio Presidency along with Poland and Denmark.

Cyprus Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos expressed optimism on Monday that accession chapters for Ukraine could begin opening in June, speaking after the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

In addition, the Minister referred to the need for further support for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and, responding to CNA, to Cyprus’ consistent position regarding sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank, which were decided by the Ministers of the 27 member states.

Furthermore, referring to the scenario put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin – proposing former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder as an intermediary on behalf of the EU – Kombos pointed out that the proposal was rejected from the outset. However, he indicated that there would be discussion on opening a communication channel with Moscow at the upcoming informal Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich), scheduled for May 27-28 in Nicosia.

In detail regarding Ukraine’s accession to the EU, the Foreign Minister noted that ‘as Presidency, the Republic of Cyprus has facilitated this effort and we are optimistic that we will have the opportunity to open certain chapters, probably in June,’ while adding that later on Monday an event would take place in Brussels concerning children from Ukraine who had been forcibly removed.

Regarding the Middle East, Kombos said that ‘Cyprus shared its assessment of the situation and we are focusing mainly on the need for an impact assessment at EU level regarding what is happening in relation to energy supply, inflation, food security and so on,’ noting that this would be ‘a very important assessment that the Commission must promote and brief member states on, so that we have a unified picture of how we can move forward.’

He said he expects this assessment to include an evaluation of how to move toward a better situation, as well as identifying trends concerning the impact on trade and all other related issues.

Regarding Lebanon, the Foreign Minister stressed that support must continue. ‘We believe that the situation in Lebanon is at a critical stage and that the EU must do much more to support President Aoun,’ he underlined.

Kombos described the high-level dialogue with Syria, as an “important milestone” in EU-Syria relations, following the invitation extended by the President of Syria to Nicosia during the informal European Council meeting just two weeks ago. ‘Cyprus, as Syria’s closest neighbouring member state, is extending its goodwill and seeking reciprocity, which relates to good neighbourly relations and respect for international law, including of course UNCLOS,’ he added.

Asked by CNA about Monday’s decision to impose sanctions against violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank and discussions about changing the EU’s trade relationship with the area, the Minister referred to Cyprus’ position. ‘Regarding the violent settlers, our position has been consistent, and I believe today we have the political agreement, the consensus at political level, to impose such sanctions in accordance with the proposal submitted,’ he stated.

Regarding trade measures, he said that ‘we expected today to receive a briefing concerning possible new approaches and proposals.” “This did not materialize on the part of the Commission, therefore what we had on the table was basically what had been on the table since last September,’ he added, noting that there had been no substantial development on the matter.

‘We are, of course, expressing our willingness to examine and analyse these issues when they are submitted by the Commission, which has the right of initiative on these matters in the Council, and depending on the political developments and the timetable, we will see how this proceeds or not,’ Kombos said. Regarding those measures, he added that ‘it is up to the Commission to assess whether the necessary votes will exist or not, which at present does not seem likely.’

On whether the EU should open a channel of communication with Moscow, the Foreign Affairs Minister noted that the issue was not discussed in substance, although some Ministers made references to it at the table.

‘However, this is an issue connected to the broader methodology. It is not simply the decision of whether there will be contact; it concerns what the fundamental positions of the European Union will be, something that will be discussed at the Gymnich in Cyprus,’ he stressed. He added that another issue concerns the possible composition of such a group and what the Union’s role would be – whether it would act as a mediator or as a participant in the process. ‘There is a sequencing, if you like, in this entire discussion, and at this stage we do not yet have the necessary answers for the European Union to present a unified response externally,’ he explained.

Regarding the ‘ASPIDES,’ the Minister noted that there is a proposal that has been on the table for some time from the EEAS, but that it depends on the response from member states. ‘Our position is that there are several initiatives at this moment operating in parallel or intending to operate in parallel when conditions allow, but there must be clarity as to which of these initiatives does what,’ Kombos added.

The Minister said regarding the position Cyprus expressed at the FAC that ‘there should be discussion concerning the private-sector dimension related to freedom of navigation, shipping more broadly, and issues concerning ship insurance premiums,’ a matter he expects to be evaluated by the competent authorities.

‘If they want to move in this direction, we consider it a very reasonable approach in the sense that even if the war ended tomorrow, the factors affecting the operation of this industry and sector – shipping – would not immediately return to where they were before the war,’ he added, noting that ‘many months would pass before that happens. Therefore, the issue is how, in the meantime, you reduce costs so that the necessary adjustment can take place. These are not technical matters; they are political issues, geopolitical issues.’

Cyprus holds the presidency of the EU Council for the first six months of 2026.