Category: Cyprus News Agency

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 30/10/2025 UNTIL 1200 31/10/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

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

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, with locally increased cloud coverage over the western and northern coasts in the afternoon.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 24°C

Warnings: NIL

I really want to come first of all to listen, to understand, to know more about this issue which is not a technical or political usual issue, it is a matter of life, a matter of human dignity, a matter of justice for so many families that have been deprived of news from their loved ones, said the Standing Rapporteur for missing persons in Cyprus for the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), François Xavier Bellamy, on Thursday.

In a meeting with the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, Bellamy thanked DISY MEP Loucas Fourlas for suggesting that he take up the issue and assured her that he would do everything he could to support and assist the work being done here, noting the visits to the European Parliament by representatives from both sides and adding that concrete solutions must be found so that families can obtain information about their loved ones.

“Our European Parliament will put all its strengths, all its means to try to help and support the work that is being done here by the Cypriot authorities, by the families, by the associations, by every institution involved in this work,” he noted.

The House President spoke for her part of Turkey’s obligation to allow scientists to proceed with the excavations, while noting the timing of the discussions on the EU’s SAFE programme.

She said that five decades after the crime, this continues to take place. “The least we are asking is the same responsiveness as the one demonstrated for Ukraine” and for other humanitarian and international violations of human rights, she added.

‘We are asking for your help at the European level, we still have 749 people missing and their families have been living a tragedy more than five decades to find out what happened, time is not on our side’, she added.

Demetriou stated that what we are seeking, at the very least, is a will to help, adding that “we are not talking only about Greek Cypriot missing persons, we are talking about Turkish Cypriots as well. We want Turkey to realize that they cannot use the European Union every time they want, they need to follow the same rules, and this is our position for SAFE as well.”

Bellamy replied that he wants to fulfill his responsibility and duty, while speaking about the SAFE program, he agreed that “there cannot be double standards.”

The House President explained that October 29 is the Missing Persons Day for Cyprus because it was the last day that missing persons were exchanged, while there is still a long list and families are waiting to find out about the fate of their missing relatives.

She also thanked MEP Loucas Fourlas, who is accompanying François Xavier Bellamy.

Demetriou then raised the issue of the five Greek Cypriots who have been detained in the island’s Turkish-occupied territories for more than 3 months, saying that this is unacceptable. ‘They are held hostages with violations of human rights’, she said and thanked the EP for the resolution it adopted on this issue. ‘Nobody bothers that we have five people who are there” not knowing when they will be freed and after what charges, she stressed.

“These illegal actions and tactics do not help at all in resuming the talks,” she noted, adding that Turkey cannot use excuses to avoid the agreed framework for a fair and viable solution.

Bellamy added that thanks to the strong Cypriot voice in Brussels, it has been made clear that there can be no threats against a member state and its citizens.

I believe, he noted, “that it is very important now to take collective action to obtain the release of these hostages”.

Francois – Xavier Bellamy also met on Thursday with the President and Members of the Standing Committee on Refugees-Enclaved-Missing-Adversely Affected Persons, noting that the issue of missing persons is an ‘open wound’ affecting a large number of families. The EU, he added, should stand by the Cypriot people, in order for these families to learn the truth. The issue should be a priority for the bloc, the French MEP said.

During his visit in Cyprus, he said, he will meet relatives from both sides and return to Brussels to convey their concerns and make the issue a priority again.

Nicos Kettiros, the Standing Committee Chairman, said that they made it clear that for them there is no question of prioritizing missing persons from the one community over the other. ‘A missing person is a missing person and their relatives have the right to know the fate of their loved ones’ he added. Other Cypriot MPs from the Standing Committee raised a series of issues with Bellamy, inter alia on the need for Turkey to open its military archives, the need to financially support the CMP to accelerate excavations and allow excavations in more areas in the Turkish-occupied territories

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

According to statistical data published on the CMP website by September 30, 2025 out of 2002 missing persons 1,707 were exhumed and 1,057 were identified. Out of 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 761 were identified and 749 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 296 were identified and 196 are still missing.

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) marked its participation in the World Investor Week 2025 with a series of targeted initiatives aiming to raise awareness and to educate people on the challenges of today’s digital financial environment.

According to a press release issued by the CySEC, financial education has long been a strategic priority for the CySEC, because it serves as the first line of defence for investors, and is critical to navigating the rapid technological advances that have increased the public’s access to investment options and products, some of which carry high risk.

Among the themes highlighted by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO), which organises World Investor Week, CySEC placed particular emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The Commission prepares to publish an Investor Guide for Safe Navigation in the Digital Financial World, noting, among other points, the fast-growing use of AI-enhanced tools in financial investing. The Commission is preparing to release an Investor Guide for Safe Navigation in the Digital Financial World, addressing the growing use of AI-powered tools in financial investing. As more people rely on AI applications for investment suggestions or advice, the risk of unsuitable decisions and potential financial losses also increases.

The Guide cautions investors: ‘AI tools are not authorised to provide personalised investment advice, have no legal obligation to act in investors’ best interests, and do not tailor their recommendations to individual needs. In addition, the manipulated or inaccurate information often produced by AI-commonly referred to as ‘AI hallucinations’-can result in poor decisions and the loss of funds.’.

As part of the campaign, CySEC has launched a range of outreach and awareness actions, including educational lectures in schools and universities, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. These lectures delivered by CySEC staff, will run until the end of the year.

In parallel, CySEC contributed to television and radio programmes, and supported the initiative with op-eds, interviews, and other educational materials. A concise Smart Investor Booklet was also published to summarise the campaign’s key messages. On social media, CySEC has been running a targeted campaign featuring daily posts with practical messages and tips to help inform and protect the public.

Marking CySEC’s participation in World Investor Week, CySEC Chair Dr George Theocharides underscored that digital financial literacy is becoming an essential skill for all citizens.

‘The ability to understand and assess investment choices-and to navigate the digital financial landscape safely-does more than protect investors from pitfalls and fraud. It supports their meaningful participation in capital markets in ways that benefit them personally, while also contributing to economic stability and growth,’ he said.

He added that ‘low levels of financial literacy, combined with easy access to markets and the growing influence of unfiltered messages on social media, leave citizens-especially young people-more vulnerable, creating heightened risks from increasingly sophisticated and persuasive forms of fraud.’

In an article about to the challenges posed by AI, CySEC Vice-Chair Mr Panikkos Vakkou noted that relying solely on such technologies for financial decisions involves serious risks.

‘Opaque algorithms and economic incentives, lack of accountability, the use of incorrect or incomplete data, and risks to privacy and data security can all lead to poor choices. In the financial sector, where our decisions have serious consequences for our quality of life and our future, it is crucial that we stay in control and evaluate our options carefully’, he said.

The new Investor Guide for safe navigation in the digital financial world, together with all supporting materials, will be available on CySEC’s Financial Education Portal on its website. The same portal also hosts CySEC’s recently launched online quiz, designed to help investors assess their ability to identify risks and avoid online pitfalls before making investment or other financial decisions.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 30/10/2025 UNTIL 0600 31/10/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1017hPa (hectopascal)

Weak high pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, with locally increased cloud coverage.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 24°C

Warnings: NIL

AREA PERIOD WIND STATE OF SEA

West Coast

Morning Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, gradually Southeast to South Smooth to Slight

Afternoon Southeast to South 3 to 4, later West to Northwest Smooth to Slight

Night North to Northeast 3, locally 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

South Coast

Morning Northeast to East 3 to 4, gradually locally 4 Smooth to Slight, gradually locally Slight

Afternoon Northeast to Southeast 4 Slight

Night Northwest to Northeast 3, at times locally 3 to 4 Smooth to Slight

East Coast

Morning Northeast to East 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Slight

Afternoon Northeast to East 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night North to Northeast 3 to 4, later near the coast Northwest to North 3 Slight

North Coast

Morning Northeast to Southeast 3 to 4, at times locally 4 Smooth to Slight, at times locally Slight

Afternoon Northeast 4, at times locally 4 to 5 Slight

Night Northeast to Southeast 3 Smooth to Slight

Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos paid on Thursday an official visit to India during which he met with his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, followed by extensive talks between the delegations of the two countries.

According to an official press release, during their meeting, the two Ministers reviewed ‘the significant progress that has been made towards the implementation of the commitments included in the Christodoulides-Modi Joint Declaration, during the official visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Cyprus last June, and the definition of the framework for the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries”.

They also discussed about the implementation of the Joint Action Plan 2025-2029, which was agreed between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs in September and which sets out short-, medium- and long-term objectives in a number of areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, innovation and defence.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs visited the Gandhi Memorial Museum, and gave a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank since 1943. In this context, he had the opportunity to present Cyprus’ foreign policy and refer to bilateral relations, as well as the upcoming Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026, the press release concludes.

Cyprus’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, begins an official visit to India on Wednesday at the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

According to a press release by the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, the visit aims to further strengthen bilateral ties between Cyprus and India, with a focus on enhancing cooperation at the political, economic, and regional levels.

The Foreign Ministry notes that discussions will focus on deepening bilateral relations as well as on EU-India affairs, in light of Cyprus’ upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On Thursday, October 30, Kombos will hold a private meeting with his Indian counterpart, followed by expanded consultations between delegations from both foreign ministries.

The Cypriot minister will conclude his official program with a keynote address at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), where he will outline prospects for a strategic partnership between Cyprus and India and highlight Cyprus’ role as a pillar of stability and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the European Union.

Minister of Finance, Makis Keravnos, announced on Wednesday the extension of the zero VAT rate on basic goods, such as baby milk, baby and adult diapers, hygiene products for women and fruits and vegetables until December 2026.

In statements after the meeting of the Council of Ministers, which approved a relevant proposal from the Ministry of Finance, Keravnos said that this proposal is about the extension of the zero value added tax rate, which expires in December 2025, and the aim is to keep it in force until December 2026 on certain basic products.

These products are, he explained, baby milk, baby and adult diapers, hygiene products for women, as well as fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.

Maintaining a zero VAT rate on these products, he said, directly reduces the expenses of vulnerable households, increases their disposable income and improves their standard of living.

Keravnos added that although inflation is zero for 2025, the government believes that the measure “serves vulnerable groups, the vulnerable citizens of our country, and we want to maintain it.”

The House of Representatives will continue to support the work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) in every way possible, President of the House, Annita Demetriou, said adding that she has also personally proposed to President of Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis that October 29 is established as a Day of Remembrance for the Missing Persons of the Cyprus tragedy by the Greek Parliament.

Demetriou was addressing a memorial service for those who fell during the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the prayer for finding out the fate of missing persons in Cyprus at the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas, in Nicosia.

According to the House President, the missing persons of 1974, soldiers and civilians, women and children, are the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem.

She added that despite repeated calls from the Greek Cypriot side for information that would shed light on their fate, the Turkish side continues to refuse to cooperate and blatantly ignores the resolutions of the UN, the Council of Europe, and international organisations calling for transparency and justice, defying fundamental principles and international declarations on human rights.

She further noted that during the recent first official visit of the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, to Cyprus, she personally raised the issue of establishing October 29 as a Day of Remembrance for the Missing Persons of the Cyprus tragedy by the Greek Parliament as well, adding that the House of Representatives is in constant communication with the Hellenic Parliament so that this initiative can be successful.

“Ascertaining the fate of the missing persons is not only a matter for their relatives, but a duty of the entire state. It is a duty of justice, dignity, and humanity, which requires that the whole truth be told,” she pointed out.

Demetriou pledged that “as the House of Representatives, we will continue to support in every way the work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus, with the aim of intensifying efforts, accelerating the pace, and enhancing the effectiveness of the investigations, as time is running out and hundreds of families are eagerly awaiting to find out the fate of their loved ones.”

“Today, we honour the memory of those who fell in 1974, pray for the missing, and renew our commitment to continue the struggle for a free, united, and peaceful Cyprus, without occupying troops, barbed wire or a Buffer Zone, a homeland that belongs to all its legitimate citizens, with respect for human rights, international principles and European values,” she added.

“It is our duty to teach younger generations about sacrifice, patriotism, and humanity, so that the traces of history are not lost to oblivion. Peace and justice are not given freely; they are founded on truth, consistency, and unity,” she concluded.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

According to statistical data published on the CMP website by August 31, 2025 out of 2002 missing persons 1,707 were exhumed and 1,057 were identified. Out of 1,510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 761 were identified and 749 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 296 were identified and 196 are still missing.

The President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, expressed the political will to address the challenges and to create the appropriate conditions for the resumption of talks from the point they were left off in Crans-Montana in 2017, during his meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace with the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus and Head of UNFICYP, Khassim Diagne.

According to a Presidency statement, the President also expressed his own willingness, as well as that of all members of his team working on the Cyprus issue, to work closely with Diagne.

For his part, the UN official stated, among other things, that the Secretary-General is deeply committed to the process of resolving the Cyprus problem, adding that in his capacity and role, and with the President’s support, he will do everything possible to ensure that any activities undertaken by the UN in Cyprus contribute meaningfully to creating the conditions for the President and the Turkish Cypriot leader to engage in substantive talks.

He added ‘you can count on me and on the entire UNFICYP team’ to support these efforts.

Also present at the meeting were the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Menelaos Menelaou, Government Spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office, Doros Venezis, and the Director of the President’s Press Office, Victor Papadopoulos.

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.

A Memorandum of Cooperation on health was signed on Tuesday in Copenhagen by the Minister of Health, Michalis Damianos, and the Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia, Karmen Joller.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Health, the Memorandum provides for cooperation in early detection and diagnosis of cancer, electronic solutions to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the health system, as well as issues related to pharmaceutical products.

‘This cooperation aims to improve the quality of care and access to health services, while strengthening joint efforts to combat cancer and safeguard public health,’ the Ministry of Health stated.

The Minister of Health is in Copenhagen for the 75th Session of the Regional Committee for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO).