Cyprus is moving to secure strategic grain reserves sufficient to cover the country’s needs for 45 days, in addition to stocks held by businesses for commercial purposes, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Friday.
Speaking at an event marking the 10th anniversary of the Mills Hadjigiorkis Museum in Frenaros, the President said the move was aimed at strengthening the country’s preparedness in the event of disruptions to supply chains amid geopolitical developments in the Middle East and the Black Sea.
‘The geopolitical developments in the Middle East and the Black Sea and their potential impact on supply chains require increased preparedness and preventive planning,’ he added.
The President explained that the strategic reserves would be maintained by domestic companies involved in grain trading and milling, following open tender procedures.
‘This is a preventive and preparedness measure, which we want to strengthen the country’s ability to respond to possible disruptions in the supply of essential goods,’ he said.
Christodoulides also announced that the Government would decide, by September 2027 at the latest, on projects worth pound 3.5 billion to be implemented during the 2028-2034 programming period. Of this amount, pound 2.5 billion would come from European funding and pound 1 billion from national resources.
The President also referred to projects and policies aimed at benefiting residents of the Famagusta district, including a strategic development plan comprising more than 30 projects with a total value of pound 122 million.