Category: Cyprus News Agency

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.

The intergovernmental agreement between Cyprus and Israel on the management of the ‘Aphrodite-Ishai’ gas reservoir is now in its final drafting phase, Energy Minister George Papanastasiou said on Wednesday speaking during the 13th Energy Symposium in Nicosia.

The Minister said that the text of the agreement is ‘essentially finalised,’ noting that the latest draft – including Cyprus’ comments – was sent to Israel last week. The goal of both countries’ Energy Ministers, he said, is for the agreement to be signed ‘by the end of the year.’

The arrangement under negotiation will set out how the small section of the Aphrodite reservoir that extends into the ‘Ishai’ area will be managed, covering quantities of natural gas potentially located within Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Papanastasiou said the agreement will establish the compensation mechanism for the Israeli side for the share that corresponds to them.

Significant progress on Cyprus’ offshore gas developments

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Turning to broader developments in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, Papanastasiou referred to ‘very important progress’ over the past year, which he said contributes to stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and creates prospects for exporting natural gas to European markets. He added that some quantities could potentially be used for domestic consumption in the future.

Outlining Cyprus’ energy development plan, the Minister stressed that exploiting the island’s discoveries requires appropriate infrastructure, given that fields lie in different parts of the EEZ. He highlighted the ‘Kronos’ field in Block 6 as the first expected to be developed, as it lies close to Egypt’s existing ‘Zohr’ infrastructure. The field, he said, can be connected with an underwater pipeline to Egypt, where the gas would be processed onshore before being sent to Damietta for liquefaction and export as LNG.

On the ‘Aphrodite’ field, Papanastasiou said development is at an advanced stage and that the operator is moving ahead in coordination with the other licensees. Unlike ‘Kronos’, Aphrodite will include a floating processing unit located directly above the reservoir, with the gas transported to a landfall point near Port Said and then fed as dry gas into Egypt’s pipeline network.

The Minister recalled that Cyprus and Egypt have already signed several energy agreements and memoranda of cooperation and that technical preparations for gas transport and processing are well advanced. Based on current planning, he said, ‘the first natural gas from Kronos is expected by late 2027, an optimistic but not unrealistic timeline’.

He added that for the first time, Cypriot gas fields are progressing toward concrete agreements that make their actual development possible, enabling Cyprus to finally bring its offshore resources to production.

On the commercial front, Papanastasiou said negotiations for the sale of gas from ‘Kronos’ are under way, noting that project economics will depend heavily on the agreed sales price. As the selling party, Cyprus is seeking a price that ensures the project’s viability, he noted.

While Cyprus currently lacks infrastructure to use natural gas directly, the Minister did not rule out that future LNG cargoes from Damietta could be transported to Cyprus for regasification and domestic use, leveraging the LNG terminal under development at Vasilikos.

He also referred to the memorandum of understanding between Energean and Cyfield for potential supply of natural gas to Cyprus via a pipeline from Israeli fields. ‘These projects are being evaluated,’ he said, adding that two proposals are currently on the table and must be assessed by the government to determine the optimal path for importing natural gas into Cyprus.

Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection, Nikolas Ioannides, expressed optimism regarding Cyprus’ entry into the Schengen Zone within 2026 following a meeting with the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, he told CNA on Wednesday.

In statements to CNA, Ioannides said that “I mentioned that there is readiness regarding our efforts to become a full member of the Schengen Zone.”

“We are technically ready; technical checks will be carried out by the Commission in the coming period, and there is an initially positive stance so that this issue can be technically completed soon, so that by 2026, the matter can be definitively closed,” he noted, adding that “of course, we hope to secure political support so that the Republic of Cyprus becomes a full member of the Schengen Zone.”

The Deputy Minister clarified the timeline for Cyprus’s accession to Schengen, stating that he expects a positive technical evaluation from the European Commission before the end of 2025, “so that within 2026, political support from the other Member States can be secured, as is customary, to complete this effort.”

Ioannides described the meeting with the Commissioner as “very constructive” and clarified that, in addition to Schengen, he presented Cyprus’s priorities for the EU Council Presidency it will hold in the first six months of 2026.

“I said that it is our priority to ensure that the Migration and Asylum Pact is implemented in June 2026. I expressed our willingness to proceed with the pending legislative files so that we can complete some legislation or contribute to the advancement of other issues, even if they are not completed during our presidency,” he added, noting that there is very good willingness from both sides for cooperation.

“We are already working very closely with the European Commission. There are good interpersonal relationships, there is professionalism, and we aspire to strengthen this cooperation during our presidency so that, as I said, we have a successful presidency in both migration issues and in general,” the Deputy Minister pointed out.

Regarding the Migration and Asylum Pact, which is expected to come into force during the presidency in June 2026, Ioannides reiterated Cyprus’s long-standing position: “An issue as thorny as migration must be managed collectively by the EU and the Member States to avoid the mistakes of the past.”

Referring to the EU experience a decade ago, he noted that “unfortunately, the 2015 refugee crisis did not find the European Union and the Member States prepared, resulting in unilateral measures and a lack of coherence in the measures taken in Europe.”

In this context, he described the Pact as a “tremendous opportunity” to “be fully implemented so that the European Union can address this difficult issue in a unified and coherent manner,” admitting that “there are some differing views, and it is difficult to have complete agreement among 27 Member States on any issue.”

However, he added, “it is better to have a general unified framework within which we can move as Member States rather than the fragmentation that existed in previous years.”

“Therefore, we consider the adoption of the Pact a very important step, a very good beginning, and it is up to the Member States and the Commission to work so that it is implemented consistently and we achieve the results we all expect for the proper management of migration,” he said.

Asked by CNA about the presidency’s strategy towards Member States that have already unilaterally declared that they will not implement the solidarity section of the Pact, Ioannides informed that bilateral meetings with Member States have already begun, starting from the last Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg last October.

In the same spirit, he noted, “we will continue, even before Cyprus assumes the Presidency, to listen to our partners, to listen to their concerns and worries, because I believe there is agreement regarding the essence of the Pact; everyone wants migration to be managed collectively, and individual disagreements are legitimate and understandable to some extent.”

“Our effort as the Presidency will be to act in a conciliatory and consensual manner so that we can achieve, as I said, the proper implementation of the Pact, which will be to the benefit of all Member States and the citizens of the EU,” Ioannides concluded.

Cyprus Quarries Association and China Aggregates Association signed a memorandum of cooperation in the quarry sector.

The memorandum was signed in the context of the event ‘Building Bridges for the Future of the Aggregates Industry – Cyprus and China’, which was held under the auspices of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

A Cyprus Quarries Association press release said that the memorandum sets as its main objectives the promotion of sustainable and innovative practices, the strengthening of competitiveness and business extroversion, the exchange of know-how and technological progress and the creation of new business and investment opportunities.

The memorandum, the Association said, is set to contribute substantially to the sustainable development of the aggregates industry and to the strengthening of Cyprus’ presence on the international industrial and business map.

It is also highlighted that China, which produces almost 40% of the world’s aggregates material, has advanced environmental practices, the use of modern technology and high health and safety standards.

The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices in October 2025 increased by 0,2% compared with October 2024 and recorded an increase of 0,1% compared with September 2025.

According to the Statistical Service of Cyprus, compared with October 2024, the largest positive changes were observed in the categories Recreation and Culture (5,2%) and Restaurants and Hotels (5,2%), while the largest decreases were recorded in the categories Clothing and Footwear (-6,6%) and Housing, Water Supply, Electricity and Gas (-2,2%).

Compared with September 2025, the most significant changes were noted in the categories Clothing and Footwear (3,7%), and Restaurants and Hotels (-1,7%).

For the period January-October 2025, in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year, the most significant changes were registered in the categories Recreation and Culture (6,4%), Clothing and Footwear (-6,1%) and Restaurants and Hotels (5,3%).

The largest change among the economic categories compared to October 2024 was recorded in the category Energy (-4,1%) and compared to September 2025 in the category Non-Energy Industrial Goods (1,1%).

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (C)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1800 19/11/2025 UNTIL 1800 20/11/2025

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

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Night Northeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Morning Variable 3 Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, locally Variable 3 Slight

South Coast

Night North to Northeast 3 to 4, offshore 4 Slight

Morning Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight, locally Slight to Moderate

East Coast

Night North to Northeast 3 to 4, offshore 4 Slight

Morning Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

North Coast

Night Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, offshore Northeast to East 4 Slight

Morning Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Afternoon Northeast to East 4, locally 4 to 5 Slight to Moderate

Head of the European Economic and Social Committee, Séamus Boland, praised on Wednesday Cyprus as it is getting ready to assume the EU Presidency on January 1st, noting that it does so with experience, competence and a clear European vision.

The EESC Head made statements at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, in the presence of President Nikos Christodoulides and the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, as the Committee’s Bureau convenes in Cyprus ahead of the EU Presidency.

“The EESC is fully committed to supporting the Presidency in moving forward Europe’s priorities and ensuring progress for all its citizens,” Boland he said.

He also noted that today at the south-eastern edge of the EU, Cyprus stands as a gateway to the Middle East and as a pillar of Europe’s presence and democratic values.

The EESC Head also noted that today Cyprus remains the only divided EU member state. He said that the nine crossing points along the Green Line are bridges of trust and hope and that the EU and the UN continue to call for a bizonal, bicommunal federation, underlining that the EESC has consistently supported this approach and promotes dialogue within the UN framework.

“Not surprisingly, Cyprus’s geopolitical importance is increasing amid the instability in the Middle East. Its proximity to Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, places it at the forefront of EU foreign, security, migration, and humanitarian policies. Despite these pressures, Cyprus acts with solidarity, supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and offering refuge to those fleeing conflict”, he noted.

In his address, Boland also pointed out that energy and regional cooperation are also key elements in current geo-political discussions, adding that natural gas in Cyprus’s ‘Exclusive Economic Zone offers potential for diversification and sustainable growth.

He added that participation in the East Mediterranean Gas Forum demonstrates how energy can drive dialogue and interdependence.

He also described Cyprus economy as a dynamic one, driven by tourism, services and innovation, which provides a strong foundation for progress.

He assured President Christodoulides that EESC stands ready to join forces with the Cyprus Presidency in order to eradicate poverty, make housing affordable, deliver on the Migration Pact with humanity and fairness and champion water resilience through our Blue Deal.

“Together, we can build a Europe that is not only stronger and safer, but more compassionate – a Europe that listens, protects, and believes again in the power of its people. So let us work closely together, the EESC and the Cypriot Presidency, to deliver results that strengthen Europe’s unity, resilience and social cohesion,” he concluded.

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.

Minister of Agriculture Maria Panayiotou is travelling to Belem, Brazil, to participate in the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).

According to a Ministry announcement, Panayiotou will participate in the negotiations on behalf of the European Union, as the incoming Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Together with her Danish counterpart, as the outgoing Presidency, they will have an enhanced role in discussions with third countries on key issues, supporting the EU position as reflected in the Council Conclusions, which constitute a balanced and commonly agreed framework for negotiations.

A press release by the Ministry recalls that the EU is calling for more ambitious results in reducing emissions and promoting concrete adaptation measures. Ongoing discussions on possible new financial commitments are intense, the press release says.

As regards the energy sector, it is noted that Brazil is promoting a roadmap for the gradual transition away from fossil fuels, an initiative supported by many EU member states.

On the sidelines of the Conference, the Minister is set to have meetings with the European Commissioner, responsible for the environment, as well as bilateral contacts with the Environment Minister of Iceland, with the aim of strengthening cooperation on climate, energy and resilience issues.

She will also meet with her Danish counterpart for coordination on issues related to COP30 and the EU Presidency.

COP30 focuses on the transition from the planning phase to the full implementation of the commitments of the Paris Agreement, with the aim of reducing global emissions, accelerating the transition to clean energy and strengthening resilience to the impacts of climate change.

It also places particular emphasis on the protection of forests and biodiversity, on a just transition so that no community is left behind, on strengthening financing for climate action, on the dissemination of clean technologies and on recognizing the role of indigenous peoples in the management of ecosystems.

The meetings so far have highlighted the need for all countries to present clear progress in reducing emissions through updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).