Category: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Dr. Nikodimos Damianou, participated in the Telecommunications Council of the European Union in Brussels last Friday where he presented the work program of the Cyprus Presidency in the field of Telecommunications.

He emphasized three main pillars, an official statement says. Namely, the strengthening of Europe’s digital capabilities and technological leadership, the strengthening of cyber resilience and protection of our digital ecosystem, including the very important aspect of the protection of minors and deepening of strategic partnerships in the digital sector.

He stressed that Cyprus is committed to working on all three pillars, in order to achieve significant steps forward in our digital agenda, in a way that offers tangible benefit and substantial change for our citizens and businesses.

During the deliberations, the Ministers adopted Council Conclusions on European competitiveness in the Digital Decade for a more effective, simplified and coordinated regulatory framework.

The Conclusions aim to promote innovation and the adoption of digital technologies, as well as to strengthen digital sovereignty, a press release says.

Ministers exchanged views on simplification and the use of digital tools to reduce the administrative burden on businesses.

In his speech, Cyprus’ Deputy Minister pointed out that at a time when Europe is facing unprecedented technological and geopolitical challenges, simplification and digitalisation are not just technical details, but a political imperative for the resilience and competitiveness of the EU.

He said that we currently have a clear opportunity to confirm Europe’s leadership adding that by reducing unnecessary burdens, harmonizing rules and leveraging digital tools, we can create a regulatory environment that promotes innovation, strengthens economies and delivers prosperity to all citizens.

On the sidelines of the Council Damianou had meetings with the Minister for Digital Transformation and Modernisation of Public Administration of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karsten Wildberger, the Deputy Minister for Digital Governance of the Republic of Poland, Dariusz Standerski, the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Sector of the French Republic, Anne Le Hénanff, and the Deputy Minister for Entrepreneurship of the Italian Republic, Valentino Valentini.

?egotiators of the two communities in Cyprus Menelaos Menelaou and Mehmet Dana are set to meet before the meeting of the leaders President Nikos Christodoulides and T/c leader Tufan Erhurman Thursday with UNSG’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin.

The envoy arrived on the island last Thursday and already held separate meeting with the leaders, pointing out that she is optimistic and looks forward to a productive joint meeting.

Cyprus News Agency learned that the meeting of the negotiators will take place either Tuesday or Wednesday. The two met December 3rd as well.

Next Thursday the two leaders will visit the CMP laboratory and then will hold a joint meeting with Maria Angela Holguin.

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.

In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected later this year.

María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.

Migration Deputy Minister Nicholas Ioannides is traveling to Brussels Sunday to attend Justice and Home Affairs Council with asylum solidarity being a main issue on the agenda. During the Council, the Deputy Minister will present the work program of the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency, to begin January 1st.

A press release says that Ministers will seek to reach an agreement on the annual ”solidarity pool”, the new mechanism that will lead to a fairer sharing of responsibilities in the field of asylum.

The solidarity mechanism will be implemented 12 June 2026, within the framework of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

The Council seeks to get the support of member states on three EU legislation issues, namely the Return Regulation, which will lead to faster, simpler and more effective return procedures across the EU, as well as the concepts of safe third country and safe country of origin, which will also contribute to faster return procedures.

During the Council, the Deputy Minister will present the work program of the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency, to begin January 1st and will take over the Presidency of the Council from his Danish counterpart.

On the sidelines of the Council’s work, and in view of the Cyprus Presidency, Ioannides will have bilateral meetings with the Spanish Minister of Integration, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz, with the Deputy Minister of the Interior of France Marie-Pierre Vedrenne and the Minister of the Interior of Bulgaria Daniel Mitov.

On Wednesday the Deputy Minister will participate on behalf of Cyprus Republic in the 2nd High-Level Conference of the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling and will have bilateral contacts.

The Deputy Minister returns home Thursday.

There have been no developments on allowing Cyprus-flagged vessels to call at Turkish ports, Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanoli said on Sunday.

Speaking to CNA on the sidelines of a Christmas event in Geroskipou, Hadjimanoli was asked whether there had been any new as regards the lifting of Turkey’s embargo on Cyprus-flagged ships, an issue raised recently by the President of the Republic.

‘The President of the Republic always puts on the table the lifting of the embargo on the docking of ships bearing the Cyprus flag in Turkish ports,’ she said.

However, she noted that ‘there is no development on lifting the Turkish embargo,’ adding that the ban also affects ship-management companies operating in Cyprus.

She expressed hope that a solution could eventually be found.

Despite the long-standing embargo and the challenges Cyprus has faced for many years, the Deputy Minister underlined that the country has still managed to rank among the major players in global shipping.

‘Our flag is present all over the world,’ she said.

Turkey imposed the embargo on Cyprus-flagged ships in 1987.

Cyprus government is expected to propose visa-facilitation measures for Turkish businesspeople in exchange for allowing Cyprus-flagged vessels access to Turkish ports. The proposal is expected to be formally submitted during Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the EU.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 07/12/2025 UNTIL 0600 08/12/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1009hPa (hectopascal)

Low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be locally cloudy and at times local showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected. In thunderstorm the winds will be variable with strong gusts.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in showers

Sea surface temperature: 22°C

Warnings: NIL

Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis expressed hope Saturday that the joint meeting between the leaders of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot community, scheduled for 11 December, will mark a decisive first step toward resuming negotiations on the Cyprus issue. President Nikos Christodoulides will brief the National Council immediately afterward on the outcome of the talks, he added.

Speaking to reporters following President Christodoulides’ meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín, Letymbiotis described the discussion as ‘very good and constructive.’ He said the President had the opportunity to address both substantive issues related to restarting negotiations and the Confidence-Building Measures agreed during two previous multilateral meetings.

A central focus of the talks, he noted, was the upcoming joint meeting on 11 December with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar. Letymbiotis said Nicosia hopes it will serve as a starting point for renewed talks. He also highlighted the presence on the same day of EU envoy Johannes Hahn, calling the timing ‘a fortunate coincidence’ given the importance of the European dimension to the Cyprus problem.

National Council to convene Friday

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The President has convened the National Council for Friday, immediately after the joint meeting, to brief political leaders on the outcomes of the contacts, Letymbiotis said.

Responding to questions, he stressed that preparing for a multilateral conference is the purpose of Holguín’s visit.

‘Immediately after Cyprus she will travel to Athens and Ankara, she will also meet Mr Hahn while they are both here, and then proceed again to Athens and Ankara for contacts. Within this framework, the aim is to set a date for convening the multilateral,’ he said.

Letymbiotis reiterated that the government believes the multilateral meeting should be convened as soon as possible, noting that its composition allows-and effectively mandates-substantive discussion with the sole aim of resuming meaningful negotiations from the point where they were interrupted.

He added that the President is fully prepared and has answers on all issues, including the four points in Tufan Erhrman’s proposal. These discussions, he said, will take place before Holguín on Thursday, stressing that the goal remains ‘the resumption of substantive negotiations from where they stopped, in Crans-Montana.’

On whether specific proposals were put forward ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Letymbiotis said there had been ‘very concrete discussion’ both on the substance of restarting negotiations and on preparations for the multilateral conference the UN Secretary-General hopes to convene, as well as on Confidence-Building Measures.

Asked about Holguín’s optimism, he said he could not interpret the reasons.

‘We hope this optimism will translate into substance at the dialogue table and that this becomes a negotiating table as soon as possible,’ he added.

He also noted that Holguín’s several-day stay in Cyprus creates space for important contacts, while describing Hahn’s parallel presence on the island as ‘a significant opportunity.’ As for a possible additional meeting with the President before 11 December, he said nothing had been scheduled and that the rest of the envoy’s programme would be announced by the UN.

Regarding positions put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side, including Erhrman’s ten-point proposal, Letymbiotis said ‘everything has been studied’ but stressed that discussions cannot take place publicly. ‘To be constructive and effective, they will be held before Ms Holguín on Thursday,’ he noted.

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.

In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected later this year.

María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.

The European Commission will pay an advance of pound 2.3 million from the European Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support the recovery efforts following the July wildfires in Limassol and Pafos, as announced on the platform X (formerly Twitter) by the Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Regional Policy, Raffaele Fitto.

‘The European Commission will pay an advance of pound 2.3M from the European Solidarity Fund to help Cyprus recover from the July wildfires in Limassol and Pafos. Support covers emergency operations, infrastructure, housing and restoration,’ he stated.

The EU Solidarity Fund is a key instrument for assisting EU Member States and candidate countries after natural disasters. Since its establishment in 2002, it has mobilised over pound 10 billion in response to 144 disaster events – 124 natural disasters and 20 health emergencies – across 24 Member States (as well as the United Kingdom) and four accession countries.

Cyprus Navy is dynamically adapting in order to effectively support the Republic’s new strategic orientation, Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas said Saturday at a celebration that took place at ‘Evangelos Florakis Naval Base on the occasion of Saint Nicholas day, patron saint of sailors.

He said that in a geopolitical environment that is constantly changing, with new challenges for Cyprus’ stability and security, we place particular interest to the operational capacity of the Navy.

He added that the Navy is responding to modern, multi-level requirements and has expanded the scope of its missions.

Palmas went on to say that Cyprus follows a targeted foreign policy with the aim to deepen bilateral relations with neighboring states and important regional actors.

“Through these initiatives Cyprus actively contributes to the promotion of peace, stability and security in the region, while supporting, at the same time, the goals set by the European Union within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy’, the Minister said.

He also referred to the adoption of modern technologies and advanced systems with the aim to strengthen the Cypriot defence industry.

Palmas also praised the high professionalism of the personnel which he described as the foundation of the strength and dignity of our Armed Forces.

Commander of the Navy, Admiral Minas Solomonides said that Cyprus is still under Turkish occupation and therefore we need to upgrade our army and be ready to defend the independence and sovereign rights of our homeland.

He also said that the geopolitical environment in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region is constantly changing and we must further strengthen our Navy in order for it to become a significant factor of maritime power.

UNSG personal envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin said she is optimistic and called on the people to support the leaders of the island.

Holguin who met yesterday with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman held a meeting Saturday with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, at the Presidential Palace.

In statements to the press she said she is very happy to come back to the island and noted once again that she is inspired by the “wonderful meeting” with the youth in Amman a few weeks back.

“So I think that we can move forward in a positive way. We are preparing the meeting for Thursday. I hope it’s going to be a very substantial and very productive meeting”, she noted. She also said that it is a good sign that the leaders will be meeting since “they have not come together for many years”.

“And I hope now if they can deliver things and move forward, the community has to support the leaders to move forward, in that direction, so I am quite optimistic”, the UNSG envoy told the press.

Welcoming Holguín, the President of the Republic said that he looks forward to the meetings on December 11.

“We are ready to start working substantively. We count on your support, on the support of the UN Secretary-General, on his political will, on his political commitment, and I am ready to discuss the next steps”, the President told Holguin.

Cyprus Meteorological Service issued a new yellow warning for thunderstorms which comes into effect at 0500 Sunday morning until 1800.

According to the forecast, isolated heavy thunderstorms are expected to affect the island at times, initially the west and gradually also the other areas. In thunderstorms areas hail is expected while winds will be variable strengthening.

In storm precipitation rate is likely to range between 35 and 55 millimeters per hour.