Category: Cyprus News Agency

The strengthening of cooperation on foreign policy issues and regional stability, in view of developments in the Cyprus problem and the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, will be at the centre of the 3rd Cyprus-Greece Intergovernmental Summit in Athens, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a written statement.

The third Cyprus-Greece Intergovernmental Summit that takes place on Wednesday, November 12, in Athens, will be chaired by the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

In his statement, Konstantinos Letymbiotis notes that the discussion will focus on close coordination on issues related to improving daily life and upgrading the quality of life of citizens in both countries. He adds that this year’s Summit will revolve around three pillars: establishing the Intergovernmental Summits as a permanent and institutionalized mechanism for strategic coordination, assessing progress on the deliverables agreed at previous Summits, and strengthening cooperation on foreign policy and regional stability in light of developments in the Cyprus problem and the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.

‘The Greece-Cyprus Intergovernmental Summit now constitutes an institutionalized mechanism for coordination and the expansion of bilateral cooperation,’ Letymbiotis says. He adds that the Intergovernmental Summit is a point of reference in the strategic relationship between Cyprus and Greece. ‘The discussions will focus on close coordination between the two Governments on issues relating to improving daily life, strengthening the resilience of our societies, and upgrading the quality of life of citizens,’ he continues, emphasizing that this year’s Summit is taking place at a critical time, as Cyprus prepares to assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union this January.

During the Summit, a broad range of policies will be examined, reflecting the two Governments’ intention to invest in substantive, productive cooperation in areas including, among others, security and foreign policy, civil protection, climate change, and more, Letymbiotis notes.

President Christodoulides will be accompanied by a large government delegation composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Health, Transport, Communications and Works, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Justice and Public Order, the Government Spokesperson, the Deputy Minister to the President, the Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, and the Deputy Minister for European Affairs.

Similarly, the Prime Minister of Greece will be accompanied by 16 Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and Alternate Ministers.

The Summit’s program includes a private meeting between the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of Greece (10:35-11:35 am), bilateral contacts between Ministers of the two countries, and the Intergovernmental Plenary Session (11:45-12:45), in which both leaders and members of their Governments will participate.

During the Plenary Session, a review of previous Intergovernmental Summits will be presented, progress will be assessed, and new areas of cooperation will be defined to shape the roadmap for the coming years.

After the Summit, the President of Cyprus and the Prime Minister of Greece will make joint statements to the media (12:45-13:05).

‘The Cyprus-Greece Intergovernmental Summit now constitutes a stable institutional and political tool for strategic coordination, confirming the enduring relationship of trust, solidarity, and shared vision between the two states. It expresses the joint political will of Cyprus and Greece to further upgrade their cooperation, expand their footprint in the region, and jointly chart a new course of stability and prosperity for all citizens,’ Letymbiotis concludes.

President Christodoulides will return to Cyprus on the afternoon of November 12.

International Recognition for European University Cyprus (EUC) at the 10th International Orthodontic Congress in Brazil

Dean of the EUC School of Dentistry, Professor Athanasios E. Athanasiou, receives WFO’s highest distinction

The 10th International Orthodontic Congress of the World Federation of Orthodontists (WFO) was successfully held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 22 to 25 October 2025, bringing together more than 7,000 orthodontists from 100 countries, including 50 participants from Cyprus and Greece.

The event’s Guest of Honor was Professor Athanasios E. Athanasiou, Dean of the School of Dentistry at European University Cyprus (EUC), who received the WFO’s highest award, the ‘William H. DeKock Outstanding Service Award’, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Orthodontic Science and Education.

In his address, Professor Athanasiou reflected on his experiences as former President of the WFO, emphasizing the importance of academic excellence, global collaboration, and volunteer participation in professional and scientific associations. He also highlighted the pivotal role of the EUC School of Dentistry as a center of excellence for education, research, and social contribution in Cyprus and Europe.

The School of Dentistry at European University Cyprus (EUC) offers the only Dental Degree program in Cyprus, fully recognized across the European Union. Clinical training takes place at the EUC Dental Clinic, a state-of-the-art facility equipped with cutting-edge technology, serving both as a modern educational environment and a center of community service. The School of Dentistry is a full member of the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE).

The School of Dentistry at EUC also offers the 3-year Master of Science in Orthodontics program that provides theoretical and clinical training of dentists for becoming orthodontic specialist.

Professor Athanasiou’s participation and distinction at the WFO World Congress further underline the international impact and scientific influence of the School of Dentistry at European University Cyprus, reaffirming the university’s leadership in dental education, research, and social innovation in Cyprus and beyond.

The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, described the implementation of the Local Government reform as necessary, speaking on Monday at the General Assembly of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities in Nicosia, noting that any corrective measures will be examined through dialogue with all parties involved.

In his address, the President of the Republic particularly welcomed “the achievement of a final agreement on the sensitive issue of the 40% limit, which affects not only the functioning of the municipalities themselves but also their employees, in a way that gives appropriate weight to the developmental role of the municipalities.”

Regarding the percentage of state subsidies to municipalities, President Christodoulides recalled that this is determined “by the relevant legislation to pound 117 million, which was also agreed with the Union of Municipalities.” We fully understand, he continued, “the challenge and, of course, we will discuss it so that we can achieve the result we all want and avoid the fragmentation that exists in relation to subsidies.”

As the President of the Republic said, ” having reached almost a year and a half of implementation of the new legislative framework in the municipalities, we find, without a doubt, that the reform was necessary and that the new operating framework clearly constitutes a healthier and more modern basis for the operation of local authorities’.

He added that “of course, the new municipalities are still in their early stages after the mergers and all the processes that have taken place in this direction, and they need to be given even more time to be able to achieve better results, which will also be felt by the citizens.”

The President of the Republic said that “along with the mergers, our intention is to review the Deputy Mayor institution, for which corrective measures have already been taken on the initiative of the Government to clarify the duties for the current term of office, which were approved by the House of Representatives.”

He noted that “there remains, however, a need for a more comprehensive and functional arrangement before the next term of local authorities, although in general I believe we all agree that it is necessary to proceed with the correction and revision of those plans – and this is not a criticism – which, based on evaluation, did not produce the expected results, and to give municipalities the tools they need to operate even more efficiently.”

In his own address, Minister of the Interior Constantinos Ioannou said that “16 months after the start of the reform, and while issues that require handling remain pending, the central government, the parliament, and local authorities are in the process of evaluating the progress of this major undertaking, based on real data recorded through the practical implementation of the change and ongoing dialogue with all local government bodies.”

As the Minister of the Interior stated, “through these observations, we have promoted, before and after the start of the reform, two amendment strands, with the aim of regulating legislative distortions that we identified from the outset, in order to take all the necessary improvement measures to make local authorities more functional and efficient, for the benefit of society.”

Ioannou also expressed his concern about the long-term sustainability of some of the municipalities, ‘as the fact that the mergers did not take into account objective criteria such as population, geographical area, the financial data of the municipalities, and other parameters, creates local authorities of different speeds.”

In this context, he continued, “the Government’s intention is to conduct an extensive evaluation and review those cases where there is a real weakness, in consultation with the Union of Municipalities and the political parties.”

Regarding municipal finances, the Minister of the Interior said that “although the subsidy to municipalities has increased by pound 45 million compared to the amount they received before the reform, the Government shares the municipalities’ concern about the impact that the pound 117 million reduction in purchasing power will have on municipal development at the end of the year.”

He noted that “judging the request to be fair, the Ministries of the Interior and Finance, together with the Union of Municipalities, will proceed in the coming period, as we have agreed, to develop a formula for calculating state subsidies, so that the amount can be adjusted at regular intervals to be determined by legislative amendment.”

Regarding the issue of deputy mayors, Ioannou said that “following proposals and discussions with the deputy mayors themselves, the recent amendment package approved by the House of Representatives last summer included specific non-executive powers, in addition to those that each Mayor may delegate.”

For his part, the President of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, Mayor of Larnaca, Andreas Vyras, said that the Union “is working feverishly to host the European Committee of the Regions’ Bureau meeting on February 9 and 10, 2026, as part of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.

He also referred to the decision of the Union of Cyprus Municipalities “to hold a series of extended meetings in all provinces to review the progress made to date in implementing local government reform.”

Omonoia and Aris are at the top of board of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan, with 23 points, with the conclusion of the Matchday 10. Pafos FC follows with 22 points, while APOEL has 21 points.

The Sunday matches, Omonia-APOEL (2-2) and Anorthosis-Pafos (1-1) ended in draws.

Anorthosis reached eight points and is in 11th place.

On Matchday 11, Omonoia will be hosted by Apollon on 23/11, while APOEL will host AEL on the same day. Anorthosis will be hosted by Enosis on 23/11, while Pafos will host Aris on 21/11.

The number of legally residing third-country nationals in the Republic of Cyprus stands at 175,677, according to figures presented on Monday by the Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection before the Finance Parliamentary Committee, during the presentation of 2026 budget by Deputy Minister Nicholas Ioannides.

He said that the majority of these persons are in Cyprus with work permits in domestic and general employment, where there is the greatest demand, as personnel of international companies, as students, but also as family members of Cypriot and EU nationals. He noted that a decrease was recorded in the number of persons with international protection status.

According to the figures, 40,735 are Russians (about 23% of the total number), a number up to three or four times greater than the number of other nationalities. 16,279 are UK nationals, 15,607 Nepalese, 14,237 Indian, 12,868 Syrian, 9,407 Chinese, 8,895 Sri Lankan, 8,807 Filippino, 6,172 Ukrainian, 4,860 Egyptian and 37,810 are nationals of other countries.

The figures show that there are 16,000 persons legally residing in Cyprus and their application for international protection status is pending. Moreover 6,000 persons who have filed an appeal after the rejection of their application, are also residing legally in the country.

As regards the nationals who are in Cyprus illegally, Ioannides explained that it is not easy to calculate this number, as it changes daily depending on the validity or expiration of residence permits. He noted, however, that the number is significantly reduced, given the reduction in irregular arrivals and applications for international protection status by 89% since 2022, as well as the record numbers in departures.

The Deputy Minister said that departures amounted to 10,944 in 2024, while by October 2025 they reached 10,628. For 2025, 74% of departures concern voluntary returns, 22% forced returns and 4% relocations.

Regarding Syrian nationals, the Deputy Minister said that a fivefold number of return decisions were issued, in relation to new asylum applications. As he said, more than 800 people applied for the incentive program for voluntary repatriation, introduced last August. In total, he said, since the change of regime in Syria in December 2024 and until today, 4,007 Syrians left Cyprus.

Ioannides noted that authorities will be able to have a clearer picture of the number of persons residing illegally in the Republic with the completion of the preparation of information systems that will be able to monitor at any time where a foreigner is and under what status, once he/she enters the country.

In addition, through the digitalization of all data and procedures coordination between all state authorities related to the residing of foreigners in the country will be facilitated.

The Deputy Minister also said that modern technology is being utilized for surveillance purposes, in order to address the phenomenon of irregular arrivals.

Replying to questions by parliamentarians as to the EU share of the costs of managing migration, Ioannides said that on average the overall percentage is approximately 60%, while for some of the major projects related to hospitality infrastructure, such as the projects in Pournara and Limnes, the cost is covered entirely and by 90% respectively by the EU.

He also said that 400 persons are provided with accommodation right now at Pournara center, 269 at Kofinou and 227 at Limnes, while there are 167 unaccompanied minors in various structures and another 58 waiting for their papers to be cleared at the Pournara Center.

He furthermore noted that with the completion of the infrastructure upgrade at Pournara in 2025, it will be possible to carry out screening and identification procedures there, in order to speed up procedures.

Limnes project is expected to be completed around mid-2026, while the Pre-Return Center for the detention of persons to be repatriated, will be completed by the end of the year, as it is also a prerequisite for progress regarding Cyprus’ accession to Schengen.

He also referred to measures taken for third-country nationals involved in crime incidents and explained that for work permit holders, there is the possibility of revoking their status in the event of an offense, even without a conviction.

The Deputy Ministry’s budget for 2026 amounts to pound 75.3 million, an increase of approximately pound 20 million compared to 2025.

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 10/11/2025 UNTIL 1200 11/11/2025

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1018hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. Increased cloud coverage will be present at times.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 24°C

Warnings: NIL

Food, drinks, and tobacco sales increased in September 2025, with the volume index of retail trade in food, drinks, and tobacco rising by 0.5% in the European Union compared to the same month in 2024. Cyprus posted the highest increase at 10.4%. In the euro area, the increase was 1% according to Eurostat

Out of the 25 EU countries with available data, 15 recorded an annual increase in the volume of food, drinks, and tobacco sales in September 2025. Cyprus was followed by Spain (4.5%) and Malta (4.4%). In contrast, Estonia saw a decline of 4.8%, while Romania and Belgium recorded decreases of 4.5% and 3.4%, respectively.

President of the Fiscal Council of Cyprus, Michalis Persianis, has noted that we are in a period in which macroeconomic and fiscal data continue not only to flourish but also remain at a steady trend of containment.

In his remarks in the Council’s Activity Report for 2024, Persianis adds that growth is expected to remain at around 3% and is based on a broad base, with almost all sectors strengthening their activities, while the debt trajectory is outside the risk zone and the downward trend continues, with the goal of reaching levels below 60% of GDP in 2025.

Regarding state revenue, Persianis notes that it is recording continuous increase, to an extent that exceeds what is expected on the basis of inflation and growth, while employment remains high and inflation remains at zero.

Persianis states that while risks are accumulating, the external environment is also becoming increasingly unpredictable. In this context, he notes, Cyprus has two means to address the risks. First, to keep policy options open for when conditions require fiscal interventions and secondly to to actively prepare for those risks that are already visible.

Referring to climate change, he says that natural disasters, the need for water management and the increase in demand for electricity are already recording intensifying trends, while all models predict an acceleration of the phenomena.

‘The inadequacy of infrastructure, with the most painful of them being water, public transport and energy infrastructure, are approaching the limit of crisis and are depriving the executive power of the required options. These will require serious increases in spending and the continued delay is of concern,’ he notes.

Strengthening the measures for affordable housing and faster house permits’ process with the aim of increasing the housing stock and supporting the purchasing power of citizens, was announced by the Minister of Interior Constantinos Ioannou at he House Finance Committee, on Monday, where he presented the Ministry’s 2026 budget, amounting to pound 779.7 million.

He said that the budget has a clear social and people-centered orientation with strong development elements, expressing the will of the government to strengthen the real economy, putting emphasis on providing citizens with effective services.

Ioannou noted that the aim for 2026 is to continue reforms and policies aimed at reducing delays and increasing the efficiency of services such as the broad redesign of real estate management procedures and the modernization of the operation of the Department of Lands and Surveys.

Ioannou also told the parliamentarians that a new legislative framework is underway for the protection of state land, with structured procedures and clear criteria.

He also said that within the framework of the fast-track procedure, 1,328 applications for single-family or duplex houses have been examined within the time limit of 40 working days and 253 applications for multi-family buildings within 80 days.

At the same time, he said that an extensive program for the protection and reuse of listed buildings will be implemented in 2026, with the aim of declaring more than 1,000 buildings as listed and operating Preservation Branch offices in all districts.

Replying to questions from MPs the Minister said that permits are now given by the district local government organizations and the Ministry is assisting by assigning staff to help with the workload. A total of 80 employees were hired and measures were taken to simplify procedures.

Regarding the ‘KtiZO’ housing project, Interior Minister explained that its purpose is to provide both financial support and know-how to the beneficiaries, underlining that the speed of implementation depends on the owners themselves as there needs to be an agreement between the tenants.

Asked about the reform of local government, the Minister said that the new Parliament to be formed after the 2026 elections will seek to make improvements.

The new Ambassador of Japan to Cyprus, Iwasaki Satoshi, was received on Monday by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, on the occasion of the assumption of his duties. The two officials expressed their shared intention to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The House said in a press release that during the meeting the contribution of establishing Embassies in both countries to the further enhancement of relations between the two states was highlighted. In this context, the common will to reinforce bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest was underlined, and particular emphasis was placed on the importance of further strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries through enhanced exchanges.

The President of the House expressed sincere appreciation for Japan’s principled stance and steadfast support regarding the Cyprus issue.

On his part, Iwasaki reaffirmed Japan’s unwavering commitment to the international law and his country’s principled position in favour of resolving the Cyprus issue on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, as provided in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions on Cyprus.

Finally, Annita Demetriou expressed the readiness of the House of Representatives to support, in every possible way, the work of the Japanese Ambassador and to contribute to the implementation of initiatives and actions aimed at further deepening relations and cooperation between Cyprus and Japan.

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.