Category: Cyprus News Agency

The Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia has installed boat-shaped book-sharing libraries on the two main beaches of Protaras.

According to a municipal announcement, the initiative further enhances the area’s distinctive character as a destination that combines hospitality, culture and high-quality visitor experiences.

The libraries have been placed at Vryssi Beach and Fig Tree Bay, allowing both residents and visitors to borrow a book while spending time on the beach or leave behind a book they no longer need, passing it on to the next reader.

The announcement adds that the libraries feature the logo of the new ‘Protaras Riviera’ tourism brand, linking reading, the sea and the Protaras experience with the Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia’s broader destination marketing strategy.

The new libraries have already become ‘a unique point of interest’ for visitors, who are photographing them and sharing the images on social media, ‘showcasing in an authentic and engaging way the philosophy of Protaras Riviera: a place where every moment can become an experience’, the municipality said.

Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos discussed on Saturday ways to further expand Cyprus-Uzbekistan bilateral relations during a meeting in Tashkent with his Uzbek counterpart Bakhtiyor Saidov, as part of his Central Asia tour.

In a post on X, Kombos thanks Saidov for ‘the warm welcome and our productive discussion’, which, he said, focused on ways to further expand Cyprus-Uzbekistan bilateral relations, enhance economic cooperation and strengthen engagement both bilaterally and in multilateral settings.

‘Within the framework of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU, we remain committed to unlocking new areas of mutually beneficial partnerships’, Kombos said.

Saidov, in his own post on X, notes that particular attention was given to expanding cooperation in trade and investment, transport and logistics, strengthening ties between business communities, and exploring opportunities for implementing joint initiatives.

They also reviewed current regional and international issues of mutual interest, he said.

‘The resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework and the negotiating acquis, with full respect for the principles, values and law of the European Union, is at the forefront of the strategy we are following,’ President Nikos Christodoulides said Sunday during the unveiling of the Heroes of Mesogi Memorial, in the presence of the Archbishop.

‘Despite the challenges and difficulties, I remain encouraged by the commitment shown by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the European Union’, he said, adding that the Greek Cypriot side was working with ‘seriousness, methodical planning, and assertive realism’, so that this new effort leads to positive developments.

At the same time, he noted, the Government was working daily to strengthen all aspects of the country’s power and influence, both domestically and internationally, on the basis of its ideological and political framework.

‘We are pursuing an outward-looking foreign policy with a clear European and Western orientation’, he noted.

The President also said that the Government was working for a resilient and strong economy, for the modernisation of the state, with an emphasis on continuous reforms and the digital transformation of the country, ‘with transparency and accountability, and with the highest priority being the welfare of our citizens and the improvement of their everyday lives through policies relating to healthcare, education, housing and the welfare state’.

With the economy serving as the spearhead of these efforts – ‘according to the European Union, our economy is among the strongest in Europe – combined with our actions at the international level, which enhance the standing of the Republic of Cyprus and make us proud, we are moving forward with seriousness and credibility, transforming Cyprus and making it stronger’, the President said.

The Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michalis Damianos, departs today for an official visit to the United States, where he will hold meetings in Washington and Houston and participate in a series of high-level discussions and international energy forums, according to a Ministry statement.

According to the announcement, as part of his visit, Damianos will take part in the Ministerial Meeting of the 3+1 cooperation scheme (Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States), the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, the 41st Annual Conference of the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), and the inauguration ceremony of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center.

Specifically, on Monday the Minister will attend the EMGF Ministerial Meeting in Washington, where discussions will focus on regional energy cooperation and energy security in the Eastern Mediterranean. On the sidelines of the Meeting, he will hold a bilateral meeting with Egypt’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi and will also meet officials of the White House National Energy Dominance Council.

On Tuesday, he will participate in the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Business Forum organized by the Atlantic Council, focusing on investment prospects in the region’s energy sector. The same day, he will address the 41st Annual PSEKA Conference, outlining developments regarding the exploitation of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

On Wednesday, the Minister will take part in a discussion at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum on Europe’s path from the energy crisis towards a more resilient energy policy.

He will then travel to Houston, where on Thursday he will attend the 3+1 Ministerial Meeting. Talks will focus on the development of natural gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, strengthening energy security and promoting energy interconnection projects.

During his stay in Houston, he will also participate in the inauguration of the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center and hold bilateral meetings with counterparts and other officials.

The Energy Minister is due to return to Cyprus on June 13, the Ministry said.

A Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the Republic of Cyprus and France will be signed on Monday in Nicosia by the Minister of Defence, Vasilis Palmas, and his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) has learnt.

According to competent sources, the Cypriot and French Defence Ministers will sign the agreement during a bilateral meeting on Monday afternoon at the Filoxenia Conference Centre, following the conclusion of the informal Foreign Affairs Council (Defence), which will be hosted in Nicosia as part of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides had announced during French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit to Nicosia in April that a SOFA agreement would be signed in June. He said that the agreement concerns hosting French forces on Cypriot territory for the purposes of humanitarian operations in the region.

The official visit to Kazakhstan is an indication of the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus’ enhanced role, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday.

This week’s official visit to Kazakhstan was ‘important’, President Christodoulides said, in statements to journalists after attending a memorial service in the community of Emba, in Paphos, and responding to a journalist’s question about the Republic of Cyprus’ outreach to Central Asia. He said that his official visit to Astana was ‘an indication of the recognition of the upgraded role of the Republic of Cyprus and of our foreign policy, which is delivering very specific positive

President Christodoulides noted that the foreign policy was also directly linked to developments at home. He recalled that he travelled to Astana on the first direct flight between Cyprus and Kazakhstan. ‘This is very important for attracting tourists and encouraging investment’, he said.

President Christodoulides also noted that he was accompanied by a strong business delegation.

‘Several meetings took place, and there is interest on the part of Kazakhstan. We therefore have a very specific plan and strategy, both in domestic and foreign policy, which are closely interconnected. I am pleased by the positive response we are seeing and by the recognition of our country and of the standing of the Republic of Cyprus’, he added.

He further noted that this was the first visit by a President of the Republic of Cyprus to a country in what he described as ‘the Turkic region’.

He added that, by decision of the President of Kazakhstan, he was awarded a significant honour, ‘which I accepted on behalf of the Cypriot people, and we continue to build on these relations’.

He referred to his visit last May to India, noting that ‘more will follow’, which enhance the standing of the Republic of Cyprus, ‘support our major efforts at home and, at the same time, strengthen our negotiating position in relation to efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue’.

The Central Asian region has emerged as one of the key priorities of Cyprus’ foreign policy, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Sunday, as he continues his tour of the region.

The Foreign Minister completed the second leg of his visit to Central Asian countries on Sunday and was to depart from Uzbekistan for Kyrgyzstan.

The tour follows the first-ever visit, earlier this week, by a President of the Republic of Cyprus to Kazakhstan, during which a business forum was held and the Embassy of Cyprus in Astana was officially inaugurated.

Asked by CNA, Kombos stressed that the main objective of his tour is to strengthen bilateral relations with the countries of the region and to create additional opportunities for mutual investment and economic cooperation. After all, he noted, the foreign and domestic policy dimensions ‘are closely interconnected’.

He said that, in Tajikistan, where he paid the first-ever visit by a Cypriot Foreign Minister to the country, he had the opportunity to meet his counterpart, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, the Speaker of the Lower House, Faizali Idizoda, and was also received by the President of the Republic, Emomali Rahmon.

The signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Higher Education and Research, establishing a framework for enhanced cooperation in higher education, academic exchanges and scientific research, was ‘of particular significance’, he said.

Kombos noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded a significant number of scholarships to citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan over the past two years.

He also visited Uzbekistan, his second visit there following his first trip to the country two years ago. The Foreign Minister told CNA that the initial visit was followed by an intensification of bilateral contacts, including rounds of political consultations and a visit by a business delegation.

In Tashkent, Kombos met with his counterpart, Bakhtiyor Saidov, with whom, he noted, maintains regular contact, both on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly and at various international forums.

The Foreign Minister was due to depart for Kyrgyzstan on Sunday afternoon, where he will meet his counterpart, Zheenbek Kulubaev, and other officials on Monday.

Asked about the objectives of the tour, Kombos underlined that Central Asia has become ‘one of the key priorities’ of Cyprus’ foreign policy over the past two years. In addition to Cyprus’ ‘consistent engagement in the region’, he said, opportunities are being created for the business community to establish partnerships in an area of significant geopolitical and economic importance.

At the same time, he added, ‘the political reasons linked to our national issue are clearly a guiding factor in this approach, producing tangible results, such as the EU-Central Asia Joint Declaration of April 2025, which contains specific references to the Cyprus issue’.

The Foreign Minister further stressed that all Central Asian countries have aligned themselves with the joint declarations adopted at both the EU-Central Asia Ministerial Meeting in March 2025 and the EU-Central Asia Summit in April 2025, which contain explicit references to respect for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, as well as explicit references to United Nations Security Council Resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), which, as is well known, he said, relate exclusively to Cyprus.

‘The expansion of our diplomatic footprint constitutes a strategic compass for the conduct of our foreign policy, particularly in regions with inherent sensitivities’, Kombos said.

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 that was expected to take place before the end of 2025, is yet to be announced. María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 07/06/2026 UNTIL 0600 08/06/2026

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1012hPa (hectopascal)

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

Visibility: Good

Sea surface temperature: 24°C

Warnings: NIL

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West to Northwest 3 to 4, locally 4 to 5

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Southeast to Southwest 3

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Afternoon

Southwest to West 4 to 5, at times locally 5

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Northwest 3

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East to Southeast 3

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Southwest 3 to 4, at times locally 4 to 5

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Time of issue: 0530

Date: 07/06/2026

President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, is to hold a meeting on Monday morning with the UN Secretary-General Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín.

The meeting between President Christodoulides and Holguín at the Presidential Palace has been scheduled for 9.00 a.m. on Monday, and, according to CNA sources, it will be held privately, without the presence of any other official.

Holguín is also expected to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhrman, at 3.00 p.m. on Monday, CNA has learnt.

According to statements on Friday by UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric in New York, the meetings will focus on discussing the ‘way forward’ on the Cyprus issue.

Holguín, who is expected to arrive in Cyprus on Sunday, will remain on the island until 14 June. She will then travel to Ankara and Athens for further meetings and consultations, according to Dujarric.

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 that was expected to take place before the end of 2025, is yet to be announced. María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties.

Ways to strengthen bilateral ties and regional developments were discussed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, on Friday during his visit to the Republic of Tajikistan, the first visit by a Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cyprus to the country, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Higher Education and Research with Tajikistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Ministry noted that the visit forms part of efforts to strengthen the diplomatic footprint of the Republic of Cyprus in Central Asia, further develop bilateral relations with Tajikistan, and promote cooperation between the European Union and the region, also in the context of Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

While in Dushanbe, as part of his Central Asia tour, Kombos was received by the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon. ‘During the meeting, the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Tajikistan were reviewed, while international and regional challenges were also discussed,’ the statement said.

Kombos also held talks with Tajikistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sirojiddin Muhriddin, with whom he exchanged views on the further deepening of bilateral relations and the strengthening of cooperation in areas of mutual interest, as well as on regional developments. It was noted that, the two Ministers signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Higher Education and Research, establishing a framework for enhanced cooperation between the two sides on matters relating to higher education, academic exchanges and scientific research.

Cyprus’ Foreign Minister also met with the Speaker of Tajikistan’s Assembly of Representatives, Faizali Idizoda, during which ways of strengthening bilateral ties and parliamentary cooperation between Cyprus and Tajikistan were discussed, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.