Category: Cyprus News Agency

The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), meeting in its Defense Ministers configuration, convened on October 15, 2025, in Brussels to discuss the bloc’s defense readiness and the ongoing situation in Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Defense, Vassilis Palmas.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Defense, the EU Defense Ministers exchanged views on a scoping paper detailing the core directions of the Defense Readiness Roadmap 2030. This document, submitted by the European Commission, is slated for formal presentation to the European Council.

The discussion focused on the EU’s proposed strategy to enhance its defense readiness, which is structured around three key pillars: Strengthening operational capabilities, implementing strategically important projects and empowering the European defense industry.

Particular emphasis was placed on promoting cooperation among member states and accelerating the implementation of critical programs such as the European Drone Wall and the Eastern Flank Watch. Furthermore, the need to adapt the institutional and financial framework governing European defense policy was highlighted.

The Ministry of Defense announcement also notes that Ukraine was specifically referenced as a strategic partner. The Ministers also examined horizontal actions aimed at improving the functioning of the internal market and preparing the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

Department of Meteorology

Today’s weather and temperatures for Cyprus according to the Department of Meteorology

Date 16/10/2025

Station

TEMPERATURE (C) (FROM 20:00 PC of the previous one until the time of the show)

The Costas Argyrou Museum in Mazotos, Larnaca, announced its participation in the international art and cultural event ‘Larnaca Biennale 2025’ in collaboration with the Municipality of Larnaca.

From October 15 to November 28, 2025, the Biennale will host works by both international and Cypriot artists within the Museum’s premises. This year’s theme is ‘Along Lines and Traces’ a relevant announcement by the Deputy Ministry of Culture says.

The works featured are by Efimero Studio, Reverberations of Uncertainty – The Threads of Sound, and by Séverin Guelpa, Times Parallax.

The participation of Costas Argyrou Museum in the Larnaca Biennale 2025 is part of its broader collaboration with institutions and organizations, aiming to strengthen the cultural ecosystem of the Larnaca region, both locally and internationally, it is added.

The exhibition will be open to the public throughout the Biennale period.

The Museum’s opening hours during October – May are Wednesday – Sunday, 09:00 – 16:30, and during June – September are Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 17:30. The Museum is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and public holidays.

The Shipping Deputy Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus and the Ministry of Transport of the Arab Republic of Egypt successfully held the first meeting of the Joint Maritime Committee (JMC) in Limassol, marking a significant step in strengthening maritime cooperation between the two countries, putting into effect the Merchant Shipping Agreement signed between the two countries in 2006.

This newly established Committee serves as a permanent platform for dialogue, coordination, and cooperation on all maritime matters of mutual interest, enabling Cyprus and Egypt to work together in a more concrete and continuous manner, examining joint areas of cooperation across the maritime sector and promoting the long-term development of their bilateral relationship.

The inaugural session of the Committee was co-chaired by Dr. Stelios D. Himonas, Permanent Secretary of the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus and Rear Admiral Nihad Shaheen, Deputy Minister for Maritime and Logistics Affairs of Egypt. High-level representatives from both sides participated, including officials from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the Cyprus Ports Authority, ensuring the active involvement of all key maritime stakeholders.

The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation under the 2006 Merchant Shipping Agreement, including specific agenda items such as collaboration within the framework of the Mediterranean Memorandum of Understanding (MED MoU), mutual cooperation and support within the framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), cooperation in seafarer training and maritime education, including partnerships between educational institutions in both countries and mechanisms for implementing joint training programs. In addition, they addressed issues related to cooperation and development between Cypriot and Egyptian ports.

Both co-chairs reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to work together through this Committee to transform dialogue into practical cooperation and to build a long-term partnership, turning their shared vision into tangible achievements for the benefit of both our maritime sectors. The next session of the Committee was scheduled to take place within the next year in Egypt, with the objective of monitoring the areas of cooperation that have been identified during the 1st session.

On 16 October 2025, the Egyptian delegation visited the Port of Limassol, hosted by the Cyprus Ports Authority. The field visit included presentations on port operations, infrastructure projects, digitalization initiatives, and green transition strategies. The delegation toured the port facilities and discussed opportunities for future collaboration in this field.

The Energy Ministers of Cyprus and Greece expressed on Thursday their shared determination to continue working in a spirit of unity and mutual trust on the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project (GSI), during a teleconference with European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen. A new trilateral meeting on the project is expected to follow in the coming weeks.

According to a joint announcement by the Energy Ministries of Cyprus and Greece, the teleconference focused on the progress of the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection. It was attended by Cyprus’ Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, George Papanastasiou, Greece’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, and Greece’s Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Nikos Tsafos, in the presence of Cyprus’ Ambassador to Greece, Stavros Avgoustides.

‘During the discussion, all aspects related to the project’s implementation were comprehensively reviewed, and all parties reaffirmed their will to continue their cooperation in a spirit of unity and mutual trust,’ the announcement says, adding that a new trilateral meeting will be held in the coming weeks to further advance the project.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (B)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 1200 16/10/2025 UNTIL 1200 17/10/2025

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1016hPa (hectopascal)

Weak low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine.

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 26°C

Warnings: NIL

Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, is in Berlin participating in the 2nd EU Algae Awareness Summit, which began on Thursday.

The 2nd EU Algae Awareness Summit is taking place in Berlin as part of the EU4Algae flagship initiative of the European Commission, in close collaboration with the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE), the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), and with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

The Commission is convening the EU algae sector to support its full potential and expand production across Europe.

On the second day of the event, Friday, October 17, Commissioner Kadis, along with Alois Rainer, German Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Regional Identity, will officially open the proceedings.

According to the Commission, algae, as a strategic resource, offer innovative solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing challenges: climate change, food security, marine ecosystem regeneration, and job creation in coastal and rural areas. By harnessing the power of algae, we can create new value chains and jobs, stimulate innovation, restore ecosystems, and promote sustainable practices across various industries.

The European Commission, through the European Ocean Pact, aims to scale up European algae production, launch the Blue Bioeconomy Innovation initiative by 2027, and set voluntary targets for algae production growth in the EU.

The volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the Cypriot banking sector continued to decline at the end of July, according to data released on Thursday by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC).

Based on the updated figures for NPLs as of 31 July 2025, the ratio of non-performing loans to total loans fell to 5.5%, down from 5.6% at the end of June and 6.2% at the end of 2024.

The total stock of NPLs decreased slightly to pound 1.44 billion, compared with pound 1.46 billion a month earlier. At the same time, total loans rose marginally to pound 26.0 billion, from pound 25.8 billion in June, contributing to the improvement in the overall NPL ratio.

Loans in arrears of more than 90 days remained broadly stable at pound 1.15 billion, representing 4.4% of total loans.

Banks’ accumulated provisions amounted to pound 982 million, of which pound 895 million relate to non-performing loans. The coverage ratio of NPLs by provisions edged up to 62.2%, compared with 62.0% in June and 59.9% at the end of 2024.

The largest share of NPLs continues to be concentrated among households and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, households recorded an NPL ratio of 7.4%, corresponding to pound 794 million out of total loans of pound 10.76 billion. Non-financial corporations showed pound 613 million in NPLs, representing 4.7% of their total loans, while among SMEs the ratio stood higher, at 7.1%.

As regards restructured loans, the total fell to pound 1.21 billion in July from pound 1.23 billion in June. Around pound 640 million of these continue to be classified as non-performing.

Deputy Minister of Immigration and International Protection, Dr Nicholas A. Ioannides, has noted the significant reduction in irregular migration flows to the Republic of Cyprus over the last two and a half years, adding that Cyprus recorded 10,092 returns in 2024 and has already exceeded 10,000 since January 2025.

According to an official press release, in the context of the preparation for the assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU by the Republic of Cyprus, the Deputy Minister participated on Wednesday, in the event for the 40th Anniversary – Signature of the Schengen Agreement, co-organized by the European Parliament and the European Commission.

In his intervention, the Deputy Minister stressed the commitment of the Republic of Cyprus to the full accession into the Schengen Area noting that to achieve this goal, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus is working hard and has made enormous progress. The Deputy Minister also stated that Cyprus’ accession into Schengen will contribute to safeguarding the interests of the European Union in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Ioannides stressed the significant reduction in irregular migration flows to the Republic of Cyprus over the last two and a half years, as a result of targeted actions at national and international level. He noted that irregular arrivals have decreased by 87% compared to 2022. Referring to returns, he said that in 2024 they reached 10,092 while this year until now their number exceeds 10,000.

The Deputy Minister also held a series of meetings at the European Parliament with representatives of political groups and institutions during which he exchanged views ahead of the Cyprus EU Presidency, focusing on institutional cooperation and the promotion of issues in the field of immigration.

Discussions focused on the priorities of the upcoming Cyprus Presidency, including the effective promotion of critical files, such as safe countries of origin and safe third countries, as well as the promotion of the Return Regulation, with the aim of ensuring a coherent and effective implementation of the EU acquis communautaire.

The Deputy Minister underlined the will of the Republic of Cyprus for close cooperation with the European Parliament and all political groups, in order to ensure smooth institutional continuity and substantial progress during the Cyprus Presidency, the press release says. He also met with Cypriot MEPs.

Cyprus’ Deputy Ministry of Shipping and Egypt’s Ministry of Transport have held the first meeting of the Joint Maritime Committee (JMC) in Limassol, “marking a significant step in strengthening maritime cooperation between the two countries, putting into effect the Merchant Shipping Agreement signed between the two countries in 2006,” a press release by the Deputy Ministry says here on Thursday.

“This newly established Committee serves as a permanent platform for dialogue, coordination, and cooperation on all maritime matters of mutual interest, enabling Cyprus and Egypt to work together in a more concrete and continuous manner, examining joint areas of cooperation across the maritime sector and promoting the long-term development of their bilateral relationship,” it notes.

The inaugural session of the Committee was co-chaired by Dr. Stelios D. Himonas, Permanent Secretary of the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus and Rear Admiral Nihad Shaheen, Deputy Minister for Maritime and Logistics Affairs of Egypt. High-level representatives from both sides participated, including officials from the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works and the Cyprus Ports Authority, ensuring the active involvement of all key maritime stakeholders.

The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation under the 2006 Merchant Shipping Agreement, including specific agenda items such as collaboration within the framework of the Mediterranean Memorandum of Understanding (MED MoU), mutual cooperation and support within the framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), cooperation in seafarer training and maritime education, including partnerships between educational institutions in both countries and mechanisms for implementing joint training programs.

In addition, they addressed issues related to cooperation and development between Cypriot and Egyptian ports.

Both co-chairs, the press release says, reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to work together through this Committee to transform dialogue into practical cooperation and to build a long-term partnership, turning their shared vision into tangible achievements for the benefit of both our maritime sectors.

The next session of the Committee was scheduled to take place within the next year in Egypt, with the objective of monitoring the areas of cooperation that have been identified during the 1st session.

On Thursday, the Egyptian delegation visited the Port of Limassol, hosted by the Cyprus Ports Authority. The field visit included presentations on port operations, infrastructure projects, digitalization initiatives, and green transition strategies. The delegation toured the port facilities and discussed opportunities for future collaboration in this field, the press release concludes.