Category: Cyprus News Agency

The Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia, Armen Grigoryan, discussed issues of common interest in the fields of security, including the Cyprus issue and geopolitical developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and the wider region, during a meeting on Wednesday with National Security Advisor, Tasos Tzionis.

According to a statement by the National Security Council, during the meeting, Grigoryan, who is on a working visit to Cyprus, provided information on the implementation of the recent agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, following the second Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Issues following the end of hostilities were also discussed, such as investigating the fate of missing persons and restoring and protecting cultural heritage.

Tzionis and Grigoryan reaffirmed the historic ties of friendship between the two states and peoples and agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions, the statement concludes.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 20/11/2025 UNTIL 1200 21/11/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1021hPa (hectopascal)

High pressure is affecting the area. ?he weather will be mainly fine.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 23°C

Warnings: NIL

President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, pointed out four positive outcomes, following his first meeting with the new Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhurman, on Thursday morning.

Speaking to the Media at the Presidential Palace he noted that the upcoming joint meeting with UNSG Personal Envoy, Maria Angela Holguin, in December, after her separate meetings with President Christodoulides and Tufan Erhurman on December 6 and 5 respectively, is one of the positive developments.

Other positive developments, according to the President, are the resumption of the meetings between the negotiators of the two communities, ahead of the upcoming meeting under the UNSG in a broader format, Holguin’s upcoming visits to Greece and Turkey in December and the visit of EU Special Envoy on Cyprus, Johannes Hahn, also in December.

President Christodoulides described as “positive, the fact that we are entering a procedure which aims to achieve our key goal, the resumption of talks from where they stopped in Crans-Montana.”

Asked about the possibility of a meeting in a broader format within 2025, the President said that during the meeting he conveyed his readiness for such a prospect and added that Holguin will examine the issue with the UNSG and the other interested parties.

He added that what he keeps is the understanding of the importance of the resumption of talks and noted that “that is where we will all be judged, where the true prospect will show.”

Responding to journalists’ questions, the President said that despite the fact that his first meeting with Erhurman was not one of a social nature, it did not involve negotiations. He said that both him and the Turkish Cypriot leader raised various issues.

He confirmed, following a question about any discussions on confidence-building measures during the meeting, that CBMs were indeed one of the topics discussed, particularly the ones which have been agreed at the meetings under the UNSG. President Christodoulides noted that CBMs are especially important now “after the change of the leadership in the Turkish Cypriot community and the latest developments, along the process for the resumption of talks.”

Asked if there is a common understanding with Erhurman about the point from which talks should resume, he noted that his understanding, from what he has heard, is that “the acquis is important.”

President Christodoulides also said, following another question, that he suggested actions that should be taken and noted others that should be avoided, in order to pave the way towards the resumption of talks. “I am here for a positive outcome and any decision, any action aims for exactly that, the resumption of talks,” he said.

Replying to a question on whether the issue of crossing points was mentioned during the meeting with Erhurman, President Chistodoulides said that the Turkish Cypriot leader did speak about it, but added that this is something that the negotiators will discuss during their meetings.

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.

EUROPEAN SECURITY CHALLENGES AND THE ROLE OF CYPRUS

December 4, 2025

UNESCO Amphitheatre, University of Nicosia, 18:00-19:30

RSVP by December 3, 2025 at cceia@unic.ac.cy

18:00-19:30 Chair: Dr. Michalis Kontos (Associate Professor and Associate Head of

the Department of Politics and Governance at the University of

Nicosia)

Speakers:

Professor Andreas Theophanous (President of the Cyprus

Center for European and International Affairs)

Mihai Sebastian Chihaia (Policy Analyst at the European Policy

Centre)

Stavri Kalopsidiotou (Head of the Human Rights Policy Sector of

AKEL)

Euripides Evriviades (Ambassador Ad Honorem and Senior

Fellow of the Cyprus Center for European and International

Affairs)

19:30-20:30 Reception at the Block Restaurant, University of Nicosia

Today the EU is facing critical security challenges. In addition to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine with its multi-faceted consequences, developments in the broader Middle East, particularly the Israel Gaza conflict represent a major political and socioeconomic challenge for the EU. It is essential that the EU is proactive. Cyprus, which is located at the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean, has a deep understanding of issues in the region and can play an essential and constructive role in addressing relevant challenges. Cyprus has a positive record in addressing humanitarian crises in the Middle East and facilitating dialogue between different parties at various levels. Lastly, finding a lasting solution to the Cyprus problem remains essential for enhancing regional stability. The EU can play a constructive role in supporting efforts toward a resolution, demonstrating its commitment to peace, cooperation and stability in the region, thereby enhancing its global weight.

A Bronze Age settlement, which was established around 2500 BC and was craft-based, was uncovered in Kissonerga-Skalia north of Paphos, as the result of the completion of the 2025 season of archaeological excavations at the settlement, under the direction of Dr Lindy Crewe, director of the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI).

The Department of Antiquities said in a press release on Thursday that the site indicates a long Bronze Age sequence, and evidence for earlier Chalcolithic occupation, beginning before 2500 BC, succeeding the neighbouring Neolithic-Philia phase settlement of Kissonerga-Mosphilia.

“The site was abandoned around 1600 BC, just into the beginning of the Late Cypriot Bronze Age. Kissonerga-Skalia is an example of a phenomenon observed at the time, whereby people began to build large structures and produce goods at a greater scale while seaborne trade was flourishing in the Mediterranean,” it added.

“As the site was abandoned shortly after the complex was built and the remains are not obscured by later human activity, this phenomenon can therefore be examined in detail,” the press release noted.

It further added that “investigations at the site have shown that Kissonerga-Skalia was established as a village during the initial Philia phase of the Bronze Age, around 2500 BC, and became a flourishing community until near the end of the Middle Bronze Age, around 1750 BC.”

At this time, according to the press release, the earlier domestic structures were abandoned and a large-scale building programme took place, demolishing earlier structures in the northern upslope area and dumping building material downslope in the south to create a flat building area of at least 1,200 m2.

“A new series of large walls up to 1.2 m wide were constructed, creating a complex of open courtyards and roofed areas connected by trampled mud or plaster floors. This may have only been occupied for a few generations before being abandoned for good around 1600 BC,” it said.

“The complex presents no evidence of domestic occupation and activities seem to be craft related, including large fire-related installations and areas for grinding and processing materials, along with several storage vessels,” the Department of Antiquities said.

It pointed out that “during the 2025 season the team further exposed the features associated with the use of the complex. Previously, excavation had revealed a 1.5 metre in diameter domed oven located in a plaster-floored courtyard along with cooking pots, ground stone tools and other objects.”

“The courtyard has now been shown to be ‘L-shaped’ and in the short end of the ‘L’ the team has discovered a new oven, which is proving to be one of the most interesting features at the site.,” the press release said.

This new oven, it added, “measures around four metres in diameter and was constructed as a hard baked mud-plaster concave hemisphere. It appears to have had low mud walls but was not roofed.”

According to the Antiquities Department “excavation of the oven has been completed and within the feature disused ground stone tools, chunks of plaster, pottery shards and animal bones were found. The oven went out of use before the abandonment of the site and was filled in and covered with a floor prior to the construction of the smaller domed oven in the same courtyard.”

“The exact purpose of the oven remains unclear but through systematic wet-sieving of the soils within it, food remains of terebinthus and wheat were retrieved, which were likely accidentally burned in the oven. This allows for the intriguing possibility that Cypriots were consuming a type of food made with wheat and terebinth seeds already in the Bronze Age,” the press release concluded.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, represented on Wednesday the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, at the 11th EU-Tajikistan Cooperation Council, which took place in Brussels, while on Thursday he will participate in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kombos co-chaired the EU-Tajikistan Cooperation Council with Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, one of the five countries of Central Asia.

As stated, the Council was an important opportunity for both a comprehensive assessment of the state of EU-Tajikistan relations and an in-depth exchange of views on regional and international issues of common interest.

It is noted that the discussion examined the progress of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), as well as broader political developments, including issues of justice and home affairs, human rights, and the rule of law.

At the same time, economic and trade issues were discussed thoroughly, as well as issues of connectivity, energy, water, and the environment, with the aim of strengthening cooperation and investment prospects.

The press release said that in the field of foreign policy and security, the two sides exchanged views on stability in the wider region and relations with regional partners, while security and counter-terrorism issues were also discussed.

They also welcomed the upgrading of EU-Central Asia relations (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan), following the EU-Central Asia Summit held in Samarkand last April.

The EU main objective is to support and deepen, through the Cooperation Council, the political dialogue with Tajikistan, building on the high-level contacts to date, taking note of Tajikistan’s views on its role in regional organizations and exploring further areas of cooperation in the field of security, it is further stressed.

On the sidelines of the Council, the Foreign Minister had a bilateral meeting with his Tajik counterpart, during which they discussed bilateral relations. Kombos expressed his intention to visit Tajikistan during the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026, the press release concluded.

Another press release issued by the Ministry said that the Foreign Minister will participate on Thursday in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels.

As noted, during the Council, Foreign Ministers will exchange views, among other things, on Russian aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the Sahel, and Sudan. They will also examine EU-ASEAN relations.

Subsequently, the Foreign Minister will attend a working dinner of the 4th EU-Indian Ocean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

During his stay in Brussels, Kombos will have meetings with some of his counterparts, it is added.

The government is working to transform any challenges that arise into prospects and new opportunities for the country, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Thursday addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Large Investment Projects, that took place in Nicosia.

Noting that the international context is characterized by instability, uncertainty and tensions, he said that it is very important that Cyprus has managed to establish itself as an attractive, reliable and stable investment destination, with a modern regulatory framework, a friendly business environment and a prudent and responsible fiscal policy.

He said that the country is currently possessing all those internationally recognized comparative advantages, which also strengthen its position in the region, establishing Cyprus as a pillar of stability and a country ‘with a real, substantive prospect of becoming a hub of entrepreneurship, innovation and development.’

Referring to fiscal data, he said that the growth rate remains, despite the challenges, among the highest in the EU, with a public debt that is expected to be below 56% of GDP by the end of the year, full employment conditions for the first time since 2008, a low record unemployment rate of 4.3% for the first half of 2025.

‘Our economy is protected through a productive base that is constantly expanding and with quality jobs increasing,’ he pointed out.

He referred to the upgrading of Cyprus by all international rating agencies saying that the country is now in category A for the first time since 2011.

This, he said, ‘demonstrates the restoration of international confidence in our economy.”

The President noted that reforms are the core of the government’s strategy for a changing Cyprus.

‘Our goal is to change the state of 1960 and improve the everyday life of citizens, through bold reforms, such as the tax reform, the modernization of the Audit Office and Law Office, the pension reform in 2026, with the aim of having adequate pensions, the evaluation of teachers,’ he said.

The country’s digital transformation is also particularly important, he continued, adding that it is changing and completely modernizing the way both citizens and businesses deal with the public sector.

In recent years, he said, the state has been promoting a series of targeted infrastructure projects and reforms, with the ultimate goal of further strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of the Cyprus economy and business environment.

President Christodoulides noted that in order to achieve “these ambitious goals, we need close cooperation with the private sector and the creation of synergies that capitalize on opportunities and respond effectively to any challenges we face.’

In this context, he concluded, the government recognizes the large-scale development sector as one of the key pillars of economic activity in the country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, has called for deeper dialogue between the EU and the US to ensure the strength of transatlantic relations, during a doorstep upon his arrival for the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, on Thursday morning.

On Cyprus’s upcoming EU Presidency, the Minister noted, that ‘we are now 41 days away from Cyprus assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU, and preparations are intensifying. In this context, yesterday I had the honor of chairing the EU-Tajikistan Association Council on behalf of the High Representative. Central Asia remains a key priority for the EU,’ he added.

Reflecting on his recent visit to the US, where he met with the Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Minister Kombos emphasized that ‘my conclusion, as regards the EU – US relations, is that we need more dialogue, there is space for more dialogue, and there is no other way of making sure that the Transantlantic relations remain strong.’

Addressing the situation in Sudan, he described the ongoing crisis as ‘unacceptable for a very long time.’ He stressed that “we need to make sure that humanitarian aid scales in, and also that there is no weaponization of the humanitarian aid.” In addition, “accountability is needed for the atrocities that are taking place. Concerning that, I deem that we need to make sure that we use wisely the EU toolbox. Both sides are illegitimate, they cannot be part of the next day in Sudan,” he added.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of ‘fully supporting the efforts of the QUAD [the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE] on the basis of the four pillars.’

Cyprus’ EU Council Presidency will work to ensure that the EU continues to stand by Ukraine at all levels, Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos told an EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels, on Thursday.

On the sidelines of the FAC, the Foreign Minister also held a meeting with the EU Envoy for the Cyprus issue, Johannes Hahn, a Ministry press release said here today.

The FAC agenda included, among other issues, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, as well as the latest developments in the Sahel and Sudan.

The Ministers also attended an informal lunch on EU-ASEAN relations with the ministers of the countries participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In his intervention on Ukraine, Kombos reiterated the principled position of the Republic of Cyprus in support of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, stressing that during the Cypriot Presidency, “we will work to ensure that the EU continues to stand by Ukraine at all levels.”

He also referred to Cyprus’ support for the adoption of a new sanctions package, as well as the importance of addressing the phenomenon of the shadow fleet and the circumvention of sanctions by third countries.

Regarding the Middle East, the Foreign Affairs Minister welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution related to President Trump’s plan for Gaza, while in this context he briefed his counterparts on the discussions he recently held during his contacts in the United States and Israel, in connection with President Nikos Christodoulides’ six-point plan, which focuses on the pillars of humanitarian assistance, security, and recovery.

Kombos underlined that ‘despite the fact that the situation in Gaza remains unstable, maintaining the ceasefire is of exceptional importance.”

“The EU must have an enhanced presence and engagement at the political, economic and operational level,’ he concluded.

In his intervention on the situation in Sudan, the Cypriot Minister referred to the particularly worrying developments in the country and the tragically deteriorating humanitarian situation.

He stressed that the EU can-and must-play a role by taking measures for the immediate protection of civilians and for the development of critical infrastructure.

In this context, he emphasized that ‘we must tangibly support both the QUAD (US, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) and its effort for an immediate ceasefire, as well as the further involvement of the UN.’ At the same time, he expressed support for the need for accountability and the extension of existing restrictive measures. He also expressed concern over the new challenges emerging for maritime security in the Red Sea, as the worsening situation significantly affects the EU.

After the conclusion of the Council’s work, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will participate on Thursday evening in the Donors’ Conference for Palestine, and later in the evening he will attend a dinner of the EU-Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.

Cyprus’ Special Envoy for Multilateralism Ambassador Andreas Kakouris in a speech on Wednesday at the UN General Assembly, during the adoption of the resolution ‘Building a Peaceful and Better World through Sport and the Olympic Ideal,’ said that ‘Cyprus welcomes the adoption of this resolution’ and expressed appreciation to Italy ‘for its constructive guidance throughout the negotiations.’

He stressed that sport is a universal language that brings people together across borders and cultures,’ promoting ‘respect, fairness, and friendship,’ while supporting education, health, gender equality and sustainable development. Linking sport and culture, he noted that ‘together, sport and culture serve as powerful drivers of dialogue, social cohesion, and peaceful coexistence.’

Ambassador Kakouris highlighted the ancient Greek roots of the Olympic Ideal, recalling that the Olympic Truce ‘reminds us that even thousands of years ago, sport and culture were used to promote reconciliation and shared identity.’ Today, he said, its reaffirmation ‘remains a powerful symbol, creating space for dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation.’

He welcomed the work of the IOC, IPC and the UN in promoting ‘human rights, youth engagement, and inclusive participation,’ particularly efforts that ‘advance gender equality and support persons with disabilities.’

Looking ahead to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, he underlined their ‘positive influence in inspiring communities and strengthening international cooperation.’

He concluded by reaffirming Cyprus’ commitment ‘to observing the Olympic Truce and to supporting efforts that use sport and culture to foster peace, understanding, and solidarity worldwide.’