Category: Cyprus News Agency

The Republic of Cyprus aligns itself with the European Union’s call for respect to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the Foreign Ministry said that the Republic of Cyprus aligns itself with the European Union’s call for respect to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, “and underscores its position that Somaliland remains an integral part of the Federal Republic of Somalia.”

Cyprus, it added, repeats its commitment to the African Union, EU, and wider international efforts in support of strengthening state- and peacebuilding in Somalia, including as provided for in relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

“Cyprus strongly advocates for the peaceful resolution of all disputes through dialogue, in accordance with the UN Charter,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded.

The Republic of Cyprus is fully prepared to take over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2026, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, stressed on Tuesday, after a visit to the Filoxenia Conference Center in Nicosia, which will host a great part of the Presidency’s events and activities.

He added that “a successful Presidency will send out a strong signal for the Republic of Cyprus” and that “a strong European Union also means a strong Republic of Cyprus,” noting that the goal of the Cyprus Presidency is European autonomy and a “European Union open to the world.”

In his introductory remarks to the press representatives present during the visit, the President of the Republic thanked “all those who contributed decisively to enabling us to say today that, from an organizational point of view, we are fully prepared.”

He also thanked the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, for coordinating the work, the Ministry of Transport, which, he said, contributed decisively to the creation of the venues, as well as the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, which, he said, has an important role to play during the Presidency in general.

“We are ready to take on this great mission, this national mission. The most important thing for us during these six months is to see results. Now that we have completed our preparations, we are focusing on results.”

He noted that what they are seeking to achieve is European autonomy and a European Union that is open to the world. “We are fully prepared, in cooperation with our other partners, with the other 26 Member States, with the European Commission, with the European Parliament, I repeat, to achieve results,” he went on to say.

“We are taking over the Presidency at a critical, decisive moment for the European Union, both in terms of internal processes the legislative dossiers we have to manage, the most important of which is, of course, the Multiannual Financial Framework, which should reflect the priorities of the European Union for the next seven years,” he continued.

“At the same time, there is the issue of Ukraine, where we will continue to support Ukraine. After all, as I have said many times, we know better than anyone else what the country is going through, what the Ukrainian people are going through,” he added.

He also said that defence and security issues are very high on the Cyprus Presidency’s agenda, as are issues relating to the competitiveness of the European Union, where, in cooperation with the European Parliament, there is an expectation of concrete positive results that will strengthen the Union’s competitiveness.

He added that other issues include migration, issues that affect the daily lives of European citizens, such as housing, protecting children from the internet, and many others, “all of which, I repeat, aim to strengthen the autonomy of the European Union through further integration”.

“A successful Presidency, which I repeat I have no doubt about, also means a strong, even stronger signal as regards the Republic of Cyprus. For us, a strong European Union also means a strong Republic of Cyprus. So we are ready, I repeat, for this national mission,” he stressed.

Asked to comment on reports that circles in the European Union are expressing concern about the Cypriot Presidency, due in part to the Republic of Cyprus’ long-standing differences with Turkey, President Christodoulides said that the Republic of Cyprus will assume its institutional role and knows very well how to manage this institutional role.

“Turkey will be approached as a candidate country for accession, as it is, and I expect Turkey to behave in the same way in relation to the institutional Presidency of the European Union,” he added.

Asked if invitations had been sent out for the informal EU Summit in April, President Christodoulides said that no official invitations have been sent, adding that a date has been sent to be marked in the calendars of the heads of state and those who will participate, but it was too early to send official invitations.

Asked if there were any plans to organize a meeting during the Cyprus Presidency exclusively on Ukraine, with the possible participation of the Ukrainian, but also the US and Russian Presidents, the President of the Republic said that the government is closely monitoring developments at the international level, beyond the European Union, in relation to Ukraine.

“As I mentioned earlier, this will be a priority for the Cyprus Presidency. And I would like to remind you that during my visit to Ukraine on December 4, I submitted to the Ukrainian President 19 specific ideas that the Republic of Cyprus is ready to undertake during its six-month Presidency in relation to Ukraine. Depending on recent developments, we are ready to take on other such initiatives,” he said.

Asked if there are any plans for an informal meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the Palestinian Authority in Nicosia, President Christodoulides said that one of the priorities of the Cyprus Presidency is to substantially strengthen the European Union’s relations with the wider Middle East.

“That is why leaders from the region have been invited to the informal European Council on April 23 and 24. I am sure that during their visit to Cyprus, some of them may wish to meet,” he added.

Asked if he had decided to invite Pope Leo XIV to visit Cyprus during the upcoming six-month Presidency, the President of the Republic said that at the bilateral level, the invitation had been open from the moment he was elected.

“Beyond that, within the framework of the Presidency, any initiatives are always taken in cooperation with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, without ruling out such a possibility,” he noted.

Asked about what percentage of the pound 90 billion that the EU has decided to give as aid to Ukraine corresponds to the Republic of Cyprus, President Christodoulides said that the pound 90 billion will come from the existing European Union budget and not from the member states. “This is the decision taken by the European Council,” he added.

Asked about the programme of the Presidency’s official opening ceremony on January 7 and whether foreign leaders would attend the President said that this is the first official event of the Presidency. “As for the participation of foreign leaders, yes, there are responses from foreign leaders who will participate on January 7, and specific names will be announced,” he added.

On her part, Marilena Raouna noted that the opening ceremony of the Cyprus Presidency will take place on January 7, at the Cyprus Theatre Organisation premises.

“It will be an event aimed at highlighting Cyprus as a member state belonging to the Eastern Mediterranean with a rich cultural heritage, which acts as a bridge between the region and the European Union,” she added.

The UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is investigating the incident that took place on Monday in the buffer zone at Mammari village, Nicosia district, its spokesperson Aleem Siddique has told the Cyprus News Agency.

“We are investigating the incident in Mammari and talking with both sides to prevent further tensions in the area. UN peacekeepers are monitoring the area closely”, Siddique said.

Greek Cypriot farmers were harrassed in the buffer zone by the occupation forces on Monday.

In statements earlier, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said that the Foreign Ministry is in contact with the United Nations describing the incident as unacceptable. He spoke of pirate actions from the occupation Turkish army.

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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

The Department of Meteorology issued on Tuesday a yellow warning for rain, isolated thunderstorms and strong winds, which will be valid from 2200 on Tuesday till 2200 on Wednesday.

“A combination of rain, isolated thunderstorms and strong to near gale winds force 6 to 7 Beaufort are expected to affect the island and mainly the coastal areas and the mountainous areas,” the Department said, adding that “in thunderstorm hail is likely.”

“Total precipitation is expected to locally exceed the 55 millimetres per 24 hours,” it concluded.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 29/12/2025 UNTIL 1800 30/12/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

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

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine but tommorow afternoon it will become partly cloudy.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night

Northwest to North 4

Moderate, later Slight to Moderate

Morning

Variable 3, later South to Southwest 3 to 4

Slight to Moderate

Afternoon

Southwest 3 to 4

Slight to Moderate, soon Slight

South Coast

Night

Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, gradually near the coast 3

Slight, gradually near the coast Smooth to Slight

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4

Slight, near the coast Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Southwest to West 3 to 4, locally South to Southwest 4

Smooth to Slight, locally Slight

East Coast

Night

Northwest to Northeast 4 to 5, later West to Northwest 3

Slight to Moderate, later Slight

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4

Slight, later Smooth to Slight

Afternoon

Southwest 3 to 4

Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Night

Northwest to North 4, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4

Moderate, gradually Slight to Moderate

Morning

Southwest to West 3 to 4

Slight to Moderate, later Slight

Afternoon

Southwest to West 4, locally near the coast 3 to 4

Slight, locally near the coast Smooth to Slight

A decision to take additional measures, including the 24-hour monitoring of crossing points from the occupied to the free areas, in order to ensure the disinfection of vehicles, was taken on Monday during a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment on the recent foot-and-mouth disease incidents. The meeting was chaired by the competent Minister, Maria Panayiotou, with the participation of officials and relevant bodies.

In statements after the meeting, the Director of the Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pipis, said that following the measures taken to date by the regarding the foot-and-mouth disease, which has broken out in the occupied areas, an additional meeting was held Monday at the Ministry of Agriculture., During the meeting it was decided that, in addition to the measures taken to date by the Veterinary Services, there will be 24-hour monitoring at the crossing points from the occupied to the free areas in order to ensure the disinfection of vehicles.

He added that it was also decided to intensify checks by Veterinary Services staff, which, he said, had already been intensified since the day the incident was announced, “in order to ensure that there will be no incidents in the livestock farms that exist throughout the ceasefire line.”

He further noted that it was decided to establish additional communication with the British bases’ authorities, the police, the army, and additionally with the farmers’ groups, in order to strengthen surveillance measures along the Green Line to prevent any illegal activity from and to the occupied areas.

He also said that a guide with guidelines on the operation of disinfection areas for vehicles on their farms, as well as in livestock zones, would be made available to livestock farmers, and that there will be further communication with the Australian authorities on the matter in order to ensure that the haloumi shipments currently en route to Australia are accepted.

He further stated that, in addition to the above, it has already been decided to set up a committee comprising representatives of the Veterinary Services and one representative from each group of animal care professionals, namely cattle farmers, sheep and goat farmers, pig farmers and, in addition, cheese makers, in order to continuously monitor the issue and coordinate the taking of any necessary measures.

He also clarified that no other country has shown any intention of imposing any restrictions or trade measures against Cyprus in relation to this specific incident, adding that there is ongoing communication with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and the World Organisation for Animal Health, and that there will also be communication with the FAO on the issue.

Asked how the Veterinary Services receive updates on the situation in the occupied areas, Pipis said that all information comes from the print media or via the internet and various online communication systems available to citizens.

Asked whether the visit by the four European Union experts had yielded any noteworthy findings, Pipis said that the visit of the European Union experts demonstrated the correctness of the Veterinary Services’ handling of the whole incident and, specifically, that we should currently focus on the farms that exist in the areas controlled by the Republic along the ceasefire line, “which is precisely where we have focused our efforts and with whom we are in contact to implement even stricter measures regarding the control of any personnel passing through these farms.”

Asked whether the disease could affect animals other than cattle, Pipis said that the disease only affects animals with cloven hooves, such as cows, goats, sheep, and pigs.

“It does not affect any other animal species and, more importantly, it does not affect humans, for whom it is of no significance in terms of public health,” he stressed.

Weather Temperature for Cyprus

Today’s weather and temperatures for Cyprus according to the Department of Meteorology

Date 29/12/2025

Station

TEMPERATURE (C) (FROM 20:00 PC of the previous one until the time of the show)

Humidity at

1200 UTC

Highest

Lowest

Nicosia (Athalassa)

15 (15.1)

5 (4.7)

39

Larnaka Airport

18 (17.6)

9 (8.6)

45

Limassol (New Port)

18 (17.6)

9 (9.3)

38

Limassol (Municipal Garden)

16.0

8.9

Pafos Airport

17 (17.2)

14 (13.7)

46

Frenaros

16 (16)

9 (8.9)

45

Prodromos

5 (4.9)

1 (0.7)

65

Polis Pafos

16 (15.6)

13 (13.1)

51

Joint exercises will be held between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas told the Cyprus News Agency, explaining that these exercises are in the framework of the 2026 planning of the General Staff’s activities with allies and countries with which Cyprus has friendly relations.

Palmas went on to say that these exercises are within the planning of bilateral, trilateral or other forms of drills.

The Minister noted that the exercises between Cyprus, Greece and Israel concern joint training of the three armies, training of officers, joint military exercises and everything else that is in the context of improving the capabilities of the armed forces of the three countries.

Palmas also said that the agreements are for 2026 adding that exercises will be held in the new year with Egypt, Jordan and other countries with which we have friendly and allied relations.

He also recalled that a joint naval exercise between Cyprus, Greece and Egypt has taken place at the end of November.

The signing of an agreement in Cyprus between military officers from Cyprus, Greece and Israel, which was made public, Palmas pointed out, has to do with the conduct of exercises as explained above.

He also noted that no date has been set for these exercises and that this will be decided by the military staffs of the three countries, depending on needs and conditions.

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 29/12/2025 UNTIL 1200 30/12/2025

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

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

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 20°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA

PERIOD

WIND

STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Afternoon

Northwest to North 4 to 5, at times locally 5 to 6

Moderate, at times locally Moderate to Rough

Night

Northwest to North 4

Moderate, later Slight to Moderate

Morning

Variable 3, later South to Southwest 3 to 4

Slight to Moderate

South Coast

Afternoon

Northwest to North 4, at times locally 4 to 5

Slight to Moderate

Night

Northwest to Northeast 3 to 4, gradually near the coast 3

Slight, gradually near the coast Smooth to Slight

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4

Slight, near the coast Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Afternoon

Northwest to North 4, at times locally 4 to 5

Slight to Moderate

Night

Northwest to Northeast 4 to 5, later West to Northwest 3

Slight to Moderate, later Slight

Morning

Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4

Slight, later Smooth to Slight

North Coast

Afternoon

Northwest to North 4 to 5, at times locally 5

Moderate, at times locally Moderate to Rough

Night

Northwest to North 4, gradually Southwest to Northwest 3 to 4

Moderate, gradually Slight to Moderate

Morning

Southwest to West 3 to 4

Slight to Moderate, later Slight

In 2026, Cyprus will not only speak with institutional positions, but also through art, Deputy Minister for Culture, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou said Monday at the presentation of the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus EU Presidency, in Nicosia.

More than 500 artists, creators, technicians, curators and cultural professionals are participating in the formulation and implementation of the Cultural Programme, the total cost of which amounts to pound 4.4 million, she said.

Kassianidou described the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2026, as ‘one of the most emblematic and extroverted projects of the Deputy Ministry for Culture’. With a total budget of pound 4.4 million, she noted, the cultural programme ‘constitutes one of the state’s largest and most strategic investments in Cypriot culture with a benefit multiplier, since it highlights Cyprus as a country with a rich cultural reserve.’

According to the Deputy Minister, the programme, ‘reflects a collective effort with the common goal of promoting the power of our country’s cultural heritage and contemporary artistic creation.’

She noted that it was designed ‘as an integral part of our overall strategy for an ambitious and meaningful Presidency, established in the vision for a stronger, more resilient, socially solidary and strategically autonomous EU. A Europe that invests in people, in memory, in creation and in culture as a cohesive fabric.’

The main pillars of the Cultural Programme, she said, are the promotion of Cyprus’ cultural heritage as an integral part of European and Mediterranean history and culture and the promotion of contemporary Cypriot creation. It also aims to integrate research, innovation and new technologies into cultural actions as tools for contemporary cultural storytelling and to support artists and cultural production, and to strengthen the diplomacy of culture and the international cultural presence of the Republic of Cyprus.

Kassianidou said that the Opening Ceremony of the Cyprus Presidency, which will take place on January 7, 2026, in Nicosia, holds a ‘special place’ in the Cultural Programme.

The ceremony, she noted, in addition to the official part, includes a modern and multi-layered artistic act, combining music, dance, theatre, image, poetry and digital technologies. Directed by Kostas Silvestros, the performance, which is developed in three acts, narrates the history of Cyprus throughout the centuries, highlighting its culture as an integral part of European culture, she said, adding that over 100 Cypriot artists and cultural professionals will contribute to the implementation of this ‘ambitious and multidimensional’ project.

The Deputy Minister also referred to the international dimension of the cultural programme with actions in 31 countries, in eleven of which – Belgium, France, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, USA, United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden – emblematic actions will be organised.

The emblematic actions include a gala in Brussels that will be attended by President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and a concert by Cypriot composer Stavros Lantsias together with his five-member ensemble, which will take place on January 21, 2026, at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts.

She also noted that Cyprus will be an honoured country at the city’s leading cultural institution, Bozar. There, distinguished Cypriot creators will introduce the European public to the breadth and depth of Cypriot artistic production, the Deputy Minister noted.

The emblematic actions in other countries include exhibitions on Cypriot antiquities, exhibitions of works of Cypriot artists, theatre performances, workshops, and concerts.

At the same time, Kassianidou noted, an extensive programme of cultural events is being implemented in collaboration with the cultural centers of the Republic of Cyprus in Athens, London, Berlin and Paris, as well as in collaboration with Embassies of the Republic of Cyprus in 20 countries, in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and America.

The Deputy Minister said that the Cultural Programme also concerns events in Cyprus, and that in this context, the permanent exhibition of the Cyprus Museum has been upgraded with new archaeological finds as well as objects that have been repatriated in recent years.

Among other things, she noted that modern and contemporary Cypriot art is also being showcased at the ‘Filoxenia’ Conference Center, in Nicosia, which will host dozens of sessions and thousands of delegates, with more than 70 works of art.

Works from the State Collection have also been installed at Larnaca International Airport, while the programme also includes short-term artistic interventions that will accompany the events that will take place within the framework of the Informal Councils and high-level meetings that Cyprus will host within the next six months, he said.

According to the Deputy Minister, the official cultural programme will also include productions of the Cyprus Theatre Organization and of the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.

Concluding, she said that the Cultural Programme of the Cyprus Presidency conveys ‘a clear message, that culture is an area of dialogue, memory and peaceful coexistence’.

In 2026, she noted, Cyprus will not only speak with institutional positions, but also through art: music, image, cinema, dance, and, above all, with its people, adding that every cultural programme tells a story, and that, the history of Cyprus is a story that deserves to be heard in Europe.