Category: Cyprus News Agency

The inseparable relationship and cooperation with Greece in addressing multiple challenges Cyprus is faced with was pointed out by House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou during a meeting she had on Wednesday evening with Deputy Foreign Minister of Greece Tasos Chatzivasileiou in Nicosia, following her contacts in Athens the previous days. The Deputy Minister, for his part, said that Greece always stands by Cyprus.

According to a statement by the House of Representatives, Demetriou briefed the Greek Deputy Minister on the Cyprus issue and stressed that Greece is our strongest ally and a long-standing supporter in the effort to resolve it.

She pointed out that Greece is constantly strengthening its position in the international arena and making steps forward in many areas.

On his part, Chatzivasileiou described Demetriou’s official visit to Athens as very successful and fruitful and underlined that Greece remains committed to the goal of resolving the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation according to the UN resolutions.

The Council of Ministers appointed criminal investigators who will examine any potential offences arising from the allegations made by Makarios Drousiotis in his book “Mafia State” on Thursday, following the relevant report issued by the Anti-Corruption Authority.

Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said that the Council of Ministers had appointed a team of independent criminal investigators.

The team will consist of Vassilios Skouris, Emeritus Professor of Public Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and former President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, who will serve as head of the team, Christos Mylonopoulos, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Athens, Sotiris Liasidis, former judge, Nikolaos Koursaris, lawyer specialising in criminal proceedings and Vice-President of a committee of the Nicosia Bar Association and Demetris Tsolakidis, criminal defence lawyer and member of the Criminal Justice Committee and the Criminal Law Subcommittee of the Cyprus Bar Association.

Letymbiotis said that the decision had been taken pursuant to Article 4(2) of the Criminal Procedure Law, with full respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, the rule of law, the powers of the independent institutions, and the need for a full, objective and impartial investigation into the findings of the Authority’s report.

He added that the criminal investigators would operate within the established legal and institutional framework, with the task of investigating the matters set out in the Authority’s report. Their appointment will last for six months, with the possibility of an extension should they submit a written and reasoned request to the Council of Ministers.

The Council of Ministers also approved the provision of the necessary administrative support, as well as suitably equipped office premises, to enable the criminal investigators to carry out their work efficiently and without interruption until the completion of the investigation.

‘The decision taken today reflects the Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and strengthening public confidence in the institutions. At the same time, it confirms our full respect for the independence of the competent authorities and the judiciary, for the procedures prescribed by law, and for the presumption of innocence’, Letymbiotis said.

Responding to a question as to whether the opinion of the investigative team would be sought regarding the appointment of a private prosecutor, he said that this was a matter falling within the remit of the Law Office of the Republic and not the investigative team.

Asked whether it would be straightforward for the investigators from Greece to familiarise themselves with the Cypriot legal system in carrying out their work, Letymbiotis said this was precisely why Cypriot investigators were also included in the team.

‘This has certainly been done before, and we have seen that it has worked’, he said, noting that the Greek investigators were highly respected professionals with extensive experience.

In response to another question, Letymbiotis said that, from the moment the Independent Authority Against Corruption announced its findings, and considering the number of individuals named and their positions, it had been clear that assembling the team would be challenging. In addition to possessing the necessary expertise and experience, members of the team also had to be free from conflicts of interest or any other special relationship with any of the individuals mentioned in the Authority’s announcement, he said.

Nevertheless, he added, ‘the Council of Ministers today appointed a team of distinguished legal experts with extensive experience, and from today they begin their work in assisting with the investigation of the report, the announcement, and the full findings, which exceed 3,000 pages’. The aim, he said, is to complete the investigation as swiftly as possible.

He also said that the independent criminal investigators would work in cooperation with the Police, who would assist with the investigation.

Replying to a further question, Letymbiotis said that if the criminal investigators required legal assistance, this could potentially be provided in cooperation with the team of prosecutors at the Law Office of the Republic, given that both the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General had recused themselves from the case.

Cyprus’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.1% in May 2026, down from 3.2% in April and 4.5% recorded in May 2025.

According to data published by Eurostat on Thursday, the number of unemployed persons in Cyprus declined from 24,000 in May 2025 to 16,000 in May 2026.

Unemployment in Cyprus continued its gradual downward trend in recent months, easing from 3.5% in February 2026 to 3.3% in March, 3.2% in April and 3.1% in May.

Regarding unemployment by gender, the unemployment rate for men in Cyprus fell from 4.2% in May 2025 to 2.9% in May 2026. Among women, the rate stood at 3.3% in May 2026, compared with 4.9% in the corresponding month of the previous year.

Across the European Union, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5.9% in May 2026, unchanged from April and down from 6.0% in May 2025.

In the euro area, the unemployment rate was 6.2%, also unchanged from April 2026 and down from 6.3% in May 2025.

Inflation in Cyprus accelerated to 3.1% in June 2026, according to data released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus on Thursday, with the largest annual price increases recorded in transport, housing and food. On a monthly basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.25%.

June’s inflation rate was the highest recorded since October 2023.

The CPI increased to 103.00 points in June from 102.74 points in May, rising by 0.26 points. Compared with June 2025, the annual inflation rate stood at 3.1%.

By economic category, the largest year-on-year increases were recorded in petroleum products, which rose by 21.2%, and agricultural products, up by 9.0%, while industrial products excluding petroleum products declined by 1.0%. Compared with May 2026, the largest monthly increase was recorded in electricity and water, which rose by 4.1%, while petroleum products fell by 1.1%.

Among the main categories of goods and services, the largest annual increases were recorded in transport (8.3%), housing, water supply, electricity, gas and other fuels (5.6%), recreation, sport and culture (5.3%), and food and non-alcoholic beverages (5.1%). Clothing and footwear recorded the largest annual decline, falling by 7.7%.

On a monthly basis, the most significant increases were observed in housing, water supply, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.2%) and recreation, sport and culture (1.0%).

According to the Statistical Service, the largest positive contributions to annual inflation came from restaurants and accommodation services, recreation, sport and culture, and alcoholic beverages and tobacco. The largest negative contributions came from health, information and communication, and clothing and footwear.

At the level of individual products and services, recreational services made the strongest positive contribution to annual inflation, followed by catering services and rents. In contrast, mobile communication services, insurance, and pharmaceutical and health products recorded the largest negative contributions.

Compared with May, electricity had the strongest positive impact on the monthly change in the CPI, while vegetables had the largest negative impact, followed by fuels and lubricants.

The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today`s stock exchange meeting as follows:

MEETING DATE: 02/07/2026

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS = 1000

EURO (pound )

TRADED VALUE 113.529,96

INDEX

VALUE

%DIFF.

VALUE

FTSE/CySE 20

181,130

0,740

104.464,720

MAIN MARKET INDEX

246,950

0,840

46.348,070

INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX

3.197,320

-0,240

14.275,050

CSE GENERAL INDEX

307,820

0,740

105.338,720

HOTELS INDEX

1.953,520

0,000

0,000

ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX

2.020,650

0,080

58.990,650

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices as compared to the last meeting.

CNA/ME/EPH/2026S, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

The Lumiere Contemporary Art Gallery, in collaboration with the Cyprus Photographic Society-Limassol Branch, issued an open call to photographers from around the world to explore the theme of dance through their lenses, to mark the 200th anniversary of the invention of photography.

According to a Society statement, two centuries after the invention of photography, the exhibition-running from November 19 to December 31-brings together diverse artistic approaches that capture the poetry, intensity, and dynamism of dance.

Specifically, regarding the submission process, the deadline for submitting photographs is September 12, 2026, with the results to be announced by the end of September.

As noted, approximately 30 photographers from Cyprus and abroad will be selected; once the photographs have been chosen, the photographers will be notified to deliver their works to the gallery-along with their asking price-by the end of October.

It should be noted that the call is open to photographers from around the world, including both emerging and established artists, and all photographic genres and techniques are accepted (with the exception of photographs produced using artificial intelligence), with each artist able to submit up to three photographs-colour or black-and-white-related to the theme of Dance.

Photographers are invited to submit up to three photographs, an artist’s statement or brief biography, contact information (email, phone number), and a list of works including title, year, dimensions, technique, and asking price per work via email to ~cps.limassol@primehome.com

The technical specifications for photo submissions require JPG or TIFF files, a print preview resolution of 300 dpi, longest side of 1920 pixels, RGB colour mode, and filenames following the ArtistName_Title.jpg format (e.g., AndreasAndreou_Dance move).

It is noted that all submitted works, will be reviewed by a professional jury composed of curators, photographers, art professionals, and dance specialists, with selection criteria including artistic quality, originality and conceptual strength, interpretation of the theme, and technical excellence.

The pound 40 submission fee for up to three photographs may be paid via bank transfer to account CY60 0050 0241 0002 4101 1119 0001 (HEBACY2N)

It is further noted that there are no additional fees for selected artists, other than the cost of printing and presenting the works, while the shipping costs for works sent by international participants are covered by the artist, as are the costs of returning the works if they are not sold.

According to the Society, all works on display will be available for sale during the exhibition. Artists must set the selling price for each work upon submission; the gallery’s commission is 30% of sales, and payments to the artists will be made after the exhibition ends.

Furthermore, artists whose works are selected for the exhibition must print them in sizes ranging from 30 cm x 45 cm to 50 cm x 70 cm. The final presentation will be prepared by the artists themselves (in frames, on canvas, foam board, or other media), up to 60 cm x 80 cm.

Selected artists may submit their works ready for exhibition. To reduce shipping costs, printed photographs may be sent from abroad, unframed, on a roll. In this case, professional framing will be carried out in Cyprus by the organizers. The cost of framing is covered by the artist and will be communicated in advance, depending on the specifications of each work.

All works will be insured during their exhibition at the Lumiere Contemporary Art Gallery.

The photographer selected for the Best Photograph Award will be granted a solo exhibition at Lumière Contemporary Art Gallery in 2027, with no participation fee, the statement concludes.

pound 2.5 billion of EU ETS revenues invested in cleaner energy systems in 11 EU countries

The European Commission and the European Investment Bank have announced today the disbursement of pound 2.5 billion from the Modernisation Fund to support 51 energy-related projects in 11 EU Member States.

Financed by revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), today’s disbursement brings the total funding made available from the Modernisation Fund to pound 23.2 billion since January 2021. The beneficiary Member States of this round of funding are Czechia (pound 516.8 million), Estonia (pound 44.8 million), Greece (pound 233.9 million), Croatia (pound 109 million), Latvia (pound 40 million), Lithuania (pound 169 million) Hungary (pound 552.3 million), Poland (pound 180 million), Portugal (pound 81.4 million), Romania (pound 636.9 million) and Slovenia (pound 20.2 million).

These investments will help modernise energy systems by improving energy efficiency in the energy, industry and transport sectors whilst supporting the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Modernisation Fund supports the lower-income beneficiary Member States to modernise their energy systems, meet their climate and energy targets, and implement their National Energy and Climate Plans. Today’s disbursement will also contribute to the competitiveness of EU industry by supporting modern, efficient and resilient energy infrastructure, boosting renewable energy generation and storage, fostering innovation and helping to reduce the EU’s imports of fossil fuels.

The 51 successful projects put forward focus on renewable electricity generation, use and deployment of renewable energy sources, the modernisation of energy networks and energy efficiency. Examples include:

decarbonisation of heat production in district heating systems in Czechia;

replacement of diesel vehicles with zero-emission electric trolleybuses for public transport in Estonia;

efficiency improvements of production processes in a number of industrial facilities with high energy-saving potential in Greece;

electricity grid digitalisation and development in Hungary;

geothermal energy for district heating in Croatia;

replacing diesel buses with electric buses and installing the required charging infrastructure in Latvia;

decarbonisation of industry through energy efficiency and substitution of polluting technologies in Lithuania;

thermal energy storage in district heating systems and improving the efficiency of multi-family residential buildings in rural areas in Poland;

energy efficiency programmes for public buildings in Portugal;

the development of stand-alone battery storage installations of electricity in Romania;

renewable electricity generation and energy storage capacities as well as modernisation and development of the electricity transmission and distribution network in Slovenia.

Background

The Modernisation Fund, financed by revenues from the auctioning of emission allowances under the EU ETS, is a solidarity instrument aimed to support 13 lower-income EU countries (with a gross domestic product per capita below 75% of the Union average in the years 2016 to 2018) in their clean energy transition. The beneficiary Member States are Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia.

The Modernisation Fund supports investments in the generation and use of energy from renewable sources, energy efficiency, energy storage, modernisation of energy networks, including district heating, grids, and just transition in carbon-dependent regions. The Fund complements other EU instruments such as cohesion policy, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Just Transition Fund. It mobilises significant resources, which can help eligible countries support investments in line with the REPowerEU Plan and the Fit For 55 package. It operates under the responsibility of the beneficiary countries in close cooperation with the European Commission and the European Investment Bank.

The next deadlines for beneficiary Member States to submit investment proposals for Modernisation Fund support are 11 August 2026 for non-priority proposals and 8 September 2026 for priority proposals. Priority investments, accounting for over 90% of the portfolio, focus on modernising energy systems, reducing GHG emissions in energy, industry and transport, and improving energy efficiency. All other investments that qualify for the Modernisation Fund are considered as non-priority investments, subject to additional scrutiny.

CYPRUS DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY

FORECAST FOR THE SEA AREA OF CYPRUS (A)

FOR THE PERIOD FROM 0600 02/07/2026 UNTIL 0600 03/07/2026

Area covered is 8 kilometers seawards.

Winds are in BEAUFORT scale. Times are local times.

Atmospheric pressure at the time of issue: 1007hPa (hectopascal)

Seasonal low pressure is affecting the area. The weather will be mainly fine, but tonight increased low cloud will be present over western areas and later tonight and during dawn locally increased low cloud coverage with local mist is possible over southeastern areas also.

Visibility: Good, but moderate to poor in mist

Sea surface temperature: 26°C

Warnings: NIL

On Tuesday, MEPs are set to adopt updated rules to protect air travellers against travel disruptions, including compensation after a three-hour delay and fee-free child seating.

Results of the June European Council summit

On Wednesday morning, MEPs will debate the outcome of the 18- 19 June European Council with Council and Commission representatives.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin to present Ireland Council Presidency priorities

On Tuesday morning MEPs will discuss the priorities of the Irish government’s six-month Council Presidency, which began on 1 July, with the Taoiseach.

EU support for Russian democratic forces

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss how the EU can support civil society, anti-war actors and independent media in Russia.

Enlargement: accession negotiations with Serbia, Ukraine and Moldova

Parliament is set to adopt annual reports assessing the progress of Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia towards EU membership on Wednesday.

Modernising EU-Mexico trade

On Wednesday, MEPs are expected to give their green light to two agreements paving the way for closer political ties and expanded trade between the EU and Mexico.

Urgent support measures for the EU’s automotive sector

Possible measures to strengthen the automotive sector and its competitiveness and protect jobs will be the subject of a plenary debate with the Commission on Tuesday.

EU strategy on cybersecurity and AI

On Tuesday, MEPs will quiz the Commission on its latest proposals on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Heatwaves and wildfires: enhancing the EU’s response

On Wednesday, Parliament will debate the need to strengthen the EU’s response and preparedness to protect people against recurring heatwaves and upcoming wildfires.

EU social security coordination: Parliament to greenlight new rules

On Tuesday, MEPs are set to give their final approval to updated rules ensuring access to social security for EU workers who live or work in another EU country.

A new tax framework for innovative companies and the financial sector

On Tuesday, MEPs will adopt their plans for a coherent tax system for the proposed pan-European ‘EU Inc.’ business regime and the EU’s financial sector.

High fertiliser prices: more support for farmers

On Tuesday, Parliament is set to approve help for farmers affected by the rising costs of fertilisers.

ESN party’s compliance with EU values: vote on verification request

On Tuesday, MEPs will decide whether to formally request the competent authority to check if the Europe of Sovereign Nations political party complies with the EU’s founding values.

Combating child sexual abuse online: vote to reinstate ePrivacy derogation

Parliament will vote on re-activating an exemption to EU privacy legislation to allow internet services to voluntary detect child sexual abuse.

The future of the EU’s common fisheries policy

On Thursday morning, MEPs and the Commission will debate the prospects of the EU’s common fisheries policy and the measures needed to support the sector.

Call for more EU humanitarian aid

On Thursday, MEPs are set to urge the EU to increase humanitarian aid funding and condemn violations of international humanitarian law.

Ebola disease outbreak: EU response

Parliament will debate on Wednesday the EU’s global health solidarity and preparedness in light of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

EU support for Spain, Romania and Cyprus after natural disasters

On Tuesday, MEPs will vote on the mobilisation of pound 144.1 million to help the three countries tackle the impact of severe floods and wildfires in 2025.

Resolutions on human rights and democracy

Parliament will hold urgent debates on the following human rights, democracy, and rule of law topics on Wednesday afternoon, followed by votes on Thursday.

Other topics on the agenda

Other topics on the agenda

Cyprus Foreign Affairs Minister Constantinos Kombos concluded his official visit to the Principality of Andorra Thursday where he had a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Imma Tor Faus and signed an MoU in the fields of education, sports and youth.

They discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, as well as the relations of the European Union with Andorra, with emphasis on the EU-Andorra Association Agreement, a press release by the MFA says.

Kombos underlined Cyprus’ firm support for the swift approval, signing and completion of the Agreement, noting the efforts made during the recently concluded Cyprus EU Presidency.

The two Ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments. Kombos briefed his counterpart on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue.

He was also received by the Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra Xavier Espot Zamora, and visited the Parliament of Andorra, where he met with President Carles Ensenyat and Vice President Sandra Codina.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two Governments in the fields of education, sports and youth.