Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Total motor vehicle registrations in Cyprus recorded a sharp annual increase of 25.2% in September 2025, compared with September 2024, while the share of electric vehicles rose to 4.7% in 2025 from 3.6% in 2024, and hybrids to 44% from 36.7%.

According to the Cyprus Statistical Service’s ‘Motor Vehicle Registrations’ report for the period January-September 2025, total registrations reached 5,544 in September, compared with 4,428 in September 2024. Passenger saloon car registrations rose by 26.8% to 4,364, from 3,442 in the same month last year.

For the first nine months of 2025, total vehicle registrations increased by 3.6% to 40,212, compared with 38,819 in the same period of 2024. Passenger saloon car registrations grew by 3.2% to 31,325, from 30,344 last year. Of these, 11,806 (37.7%) were new cars and 19,519 (62.3%) were used. Rental cars recorded a notable rise of 32.6% to 4,559.

By fuel type, the share of petrol cars fell to 42.8% in January-September 2025 from 49.7% in 2024, and diesel cars to 8.5% from 9.9%. In contrast, electric cars rose to 4.7% from 3.6%, and hybrids to 44% from 36.7%.

Bus registrations increased to 132 in January-September 2025 from 119 in the same period of 2024. Goods transport vehicles rose by 6% to 4,569, compared with 4,311 last year. Specifically, rental vehicles increased by 17.5% to 215, heavy trucks by 6% to 534, light trucks by 5.7% to 3,650, while road tractors (trailers) remained unchanged at 170.

Moped registrations (50cc) fell to 170 in January-September 2025 from 603 in the same period of 2024, while motorcycle registrations (>50cc) rose by 20.1% to 3,522, compared with 2,933 last year.

We want to build on the technology sector momentum, on the strength of the economy and on our elevated geopolitical role, and solidify Cyprus as a hub, not just for technology, but also for innovation, for skills and for knowledge, Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, said on Thursday, in his presentation during the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit held in Nicosia.

He added that the Cypriot research and innovation ecosystem was ranked two places higher this year on the Global Innovation Index, taking 25th place globally, having currently six times more startups than 2020, with approximately 100 new startups every year, while was awarded first prize by the EU Commission at the European Digital Connectivity Awards of 2025 for the nationwide project of rolling out gigabit connectivity in non-urban areas, covering 100% of the population with high-speed gigabit Internet.

According to the Deputy Minister, the pace and level of change that is happening is forcing governments to think technology across their policies and strategies, but also in everyday communication.

‘National digital power is no longer only about military power. It is a battle for semiconductors, for energy, for the rare and critical earth minerals that will be needed or are needed for the manufacturing process and this leads to a race for AI investments’, he continued.

He referred in this context to the Stargate project that US President Donald Trump announced when he took office, which will use $500 billion of investment to get the country to 10 gigawatts of data centre capacity by 2029.

He added that the situation in China is very similar, the main difference being that the US is funding that growth essentially with private money while China is doing it with public money.

As far as the EU is concerned, he said that the European Commission announced the intention to build five or six AI gigafactories, starting hopefully from next year, but is still struggling to find a way to make this growth sustainable, to draw private investments.

He added that the battle is quite similar in terms of talent, as, despite the fact that the EU has 30% more researchers in AI, it has to deal with a huge brain drain issue, while a similar situation applies to startups, with a lot of them being launched in Europe, but only 8% of global scale-ups staying in the continent, which the Commission is looking to address mainly through the startup and scale-up strategy.

Citing Nobel prize winner, Demis Hassabis, who said that we should make sure that we do not follow with AI the toxic playbook of social media, he noted that Cyprus will be joining the initiative announced by the President of the European Commission last week on the protection of minors online.

Moving on to the situation in Cyprus, Damianou said that the technology sector is growing in double digits and with a lot growing activity in AI.

He added that the Cypriot research and innovation ecosystem was ranked two places higher this year on the Global Innovation Index, taking 25th place globally, having currently six times more startups than 2020, with approximately 100 new startups every year.

‘We want to build on that momentum, on the strength of the economy and on our elevated geopolitical role, and solidify Cyprus as a hub, not just for technology, but also for innovation, for skills and for knowledge’, he stressed in that regard.

On government digitisation in the context of what is happening with AI in particular, the Deputy Minister mentioned as the first priority fixing legacy infrastructure and changing how computing is done in the government, moving towards cloud computing capabilities. He added a tender has been issued for a hybrid government cloud, which will implement the government’s public cloud-first policy.

The second thing we need to fix is our data across the government systems, continued Damianou, adding that the government is now running a significant portfolio of projects and expects significant progress in the next 12 months across the digital landscape, which will enable better technical capabilities, but also better interoperability.

He included among key highlights the new school management system which is starting to roll out this month, the new post office counter automation system to be launched in November, a unified system to replace all those fragmented tax systems by next year, the new integrated social insurance system starting to launch from this year, the new integrated register of company system, and the new road transport system, the deadline for which is September next year. He also said that the electronic justice system is back on track and its main phase is expected to be delivered by mid next year.

He also referred to the redesigned main websites for the ministries, the first fully public cloud service, the Digital Citizen app, which now has 120,000 registered users, and the first gen AI tool in the public sector, the Digital AI assistant, which, as he said, has answered or nearly 200,000 questions about more than 110 topics, as well as the national eID signature, a tool for signing legally binding documents.

He added that new services are coming for social insurance, social welfare, town planning and building management, new online services for the Citizen Service Centre and a call centre to support citizens.

As regards embedding AI in government, the Deputy Minister said that at the top level there is the AI strategy, which is going to be delivered by the National AI Task Force by year end.

‘It is going to touch on how we leverage AI to accelerate both the public sector and the private sector and also build efficiency. We are joining forces with the Greek government through the AI factory, Pharos, and that is a partnership, actually, to build a common Greek language AI space’, he further explained.

He added that at investments to build HPC infrastructure and chip design capacity for the research and innovation ecosystem in areas that are of strategic importance for the government are also being explored

‘If we zoom out from what is happening in the core government, the real benefit for the citizens will be when we manage to integrate all that with the rest of the ecosystem, with the industry. The tools that we are finally being able to deliver, the eID, the eSignature, the eInvoicing, these are all tools that the industry can use to build products and services for their customers, but also integrate with the government. The most important, though, is to make government a single source of truth for citizen data and for company data’, he stressed.

He also said that, the Smart Citizen Act for interacting with the local authorities and the community will be launched this year. ‘This is coming from a project we call Smart Cycles. It was launched end of July this year and essentially it is an AI-enabled platform, a single platform for the whole country to build that innovation on its own, to build any smart solution in collaboration with the local authorities’.

In closing, Damianou noted the Cyprus, as one of the leaders in terms of connectivity in Europe, was awarded first prize by the EU Commission at the European Digital Connectivity Awards of 2025 for the nationwide project of rolling out gigabit connectivity in non-urban areas, covering 100% of the population with high-speed gigabit Internet.

The introduction of the Debt Officer/Schuldenfunctionaris in court proceedings regarding cases of people with problematic debts, submitted by ?he Netherlands was the winner of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice’s (CEPEJ) Crystal Scales Prize 2025 Award. The award ceremony, held at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, on Thursday, was organised by the Cyprus Judicial Training School and ‘Hope For Children’ CRC Policy Center, as winners of the 2023 competition.

Created in 2005, the ‘Crystal Scales of Justice’ Prize is a competition aimed at discovering and highlighting innovative and efficient practices concerning the functioning of justice, judicial procedures or the organisation of courts.

Opening the Ceremony, CEPEJ President Francesco Depasquale, said that this was ‘a very important day for us’, as it gives ‘a unique opportunity to draw attention to the interesting and innovative initiatives’ that participated in the competition, find solutions and improve day to day experience concerning judicial procedures.

He said that 26 participations from 16 member states of the Council of Europe submitted their project for the 2025 edition of the competition.

Through this prize, organised by CEPEJ every two years he said, there is an opportunity for the exchange of good practices.

Referring to the winner of the 2023 edition of the Crystal Scales of Justice Prize – awarded to Cyprus’ Judicial Training School and ‘Hope For Children’ – CRC Policy Center for its ‘Kids in Court Game’ initiative for children – Depasquale said that this initiative was ‘so innovative’ and beneficial to children who end up having to go to court.

The project ‘Kids in Court Game’ consists of four different games designed to prepare children psychologically and emotionally to testify in court as witnesses.

He congratulated them on their success, noting that it is ‘encouraging’ that the 2023 prize winner project is being used in practice. The jury managed to find the right practice, he said, expressing certainty that they would do the same this year as well.

François Paychère, President of the Jury said prior to the announcement of the 2025 winner, that ‘the rule of law is in danger all over the world and we have to find answers to this problem’. He added that, ‘on a very modest level’ the prize was a kind of an answer to this debate about the rule of law, noting that it helps the judicial system to find good solutions for the citizens. ‘Our aim is to deliver better service to the citizens’, he said. The other Jury members were Simon Cardon de Lichtbuer , Svjetlana Milisic Velickovski, and Phani Hadjiphani.

The winner, ‘Schuldenfunctionaris/Debt officer’ was among three finalists. The three projects were presented at the ceremony.

The Dutch team that presented their project, said that the idea was to help people who appear in court for problematic debt. When presenting court, a judge calls a debt officer to come in and try to guide these people to debt counseling. They said that, since 2023 every court in the Netherlands is using this tool.

The Jury members said that the project was helping the most disadvantaged litigants, and that they liked the idea of humanity, and of a judge who takes a larger view of the problem and proposes a solution. ‘Not paying the bills is a sign that often hides a more complex reality’, they said, noting that, the earlier the detection, the better the solution.

The winning team, after accepting the award, said that it was a ‘great honour’ considering the effect and that is now growing in the Netherlands, while it is now getting European attention. They also said they would like to see this idea implemented throughout Europe.

The other two projects – from Spain and Belgium – received a special mention.

Spain’s project concerns the hyper-automation of order of payment procedures in justice, which according to the team from Spain’s Ministry of Justice who presented it led to reduction of up to 100 days in resolution times, less errors and higher efficiency, but also greater legal certainty.

The Jury said about the Spain’s project expedites orders for payment, and the delivery of justice, saves time for staff to do other tasks, but also deploys digital tools and a sophisticated automation, and AI, thus fully embracing the digital era. In theory, they said, the solution is transferable, but also, they acknowledged that not all countries have the same resources to implement it.

The third candidate concerned the creation of the Center for Conservatorship in Belgium, which is an accessible point of contact, to answer to questions of those interested and lawyers on the conservatorship procedure. The team that presented the project said that 150.000 people were currently under conservatorship in Belgium that this number was increasing each year due to aging population. They said the aim was to become a centre of expertise on conservatorship.

Delivering their assessment, the jury said that project was about dedication to protecting one of the most vulnerable groups in societies, while noting that conservatorship is not an area usually addressed, and that they appreciated the innovation behind this project. It illustrates an important trend that the judiciary is trying to get closer to citizens and directly respond to their needs, they said.

Prior to the awards ceremony, representatives of all stakeholders in the field of child-friendly justice in Cyprus (Hope for Children, State Law Office, Judges, Bar Association), spoke about their experience and how the ‘Kids in Court Game helped children have a more positive experience in relation to court proceedings.

New Chief of National Guard Lieutenant General Emmanuel Theodorou pledged to command with meritocracy, impartiality and honesty and assured that he will work having as main goal to further strengthen its combat power.

The New Chief made statements during the handover ceremony of the leadership of the National Guard Thursday, at “Stelios Mavrommatis Camp” in Stavrovouni.

Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas said that the new Chief has a heavy duty to safeguard that the National Guard will remain a pillar of security and stability.

Palmas praised the service of the outgoing Chief and spoke of their constructive cooperation. He said that “today’s ceremony shows our unwavering trust in the new Chief”.

He noted that our primary goal is to defend Cyprus’ independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity and this is achieved by strengthening our deterrent power and upgrading our defensive armor.

Palmas spoke of the challenges before us, in a period in which international security is being tested by new threats. He also called on the new Chief to have in mind the safety and well-being of the members of the National Guard which are the cornerstone of the successful execution of their mission.

The new National Guard Chief in his remarks said that the geopolitical conditions are changing rapidly and the circumstances require vigilance, adding that the National Guard must constantly adapt so that it is in a position, at all times, to ensure the protection of the people of Cyprus against any threat and to defend the independence and integrity of the Republic.

President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, received on Thursday Cypriot EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, with whom he discussed issues related to his portfolio.

According to a statement by the Presidency, Kadis, who was accompanied by his team said that their visit to Cyprus is taking place within the framework of a process of strengthening their collective work and exchanging ideas regarding the progress of the Commission’s work.

He informed the President about the various activities that took place within the framework of their visit, in areas related to fisheries in the Republic of Cyprus. He added that a team of distinguished professionals has been formed, stating that ‘we examine issues that concern all EU Member States with great care, with the remaining members of the team being particularly sensitive and aware of issues that concern Cyprus.’

The European Court of Human Rights unanimously ruled that in the case of Georgios Papadopoulos v. Cyprus that there had been a violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 (right to free elections) to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case, a Courts press release says, concerned the fact that Cypriot law did not provide for the possibility to fill a parliamentary seat that had become vacant before the start of the parliamentary term. The applicant in the case was a runner-up candidate in the 2016 parliamentary elections, but was appointed when a member of the European Parliament decided not to take up her seat before the start of the parliamentary term. The applicant’s appointment was however annulled in 2017, 2018 and 2020 because the Electoral Court considered that there was no legal or permissible constitutional framework for such substitution.

The applicant, Georgios Papadopoulos, is a Cypriot national who was born in 1965 and lives in Limassol (Cyprus). He was a runner-up candidate in the 2016 parliamentary elections for the Solidarity Movement.

A Member of the European Parliament – and president of the Solidarity Movement – was elected but she decided not to take the seat prior to the start of the parliamentary term because she wished to remain an MEP.

The Cypriot legal system did not, however, expressly regulate this contingency, that is to say when an elected candidate renounced their seat prior to taking office.

Papadopoulos complained that despite being appointed three times, the Electoral Court had annulled his mandate each time, in breach of his right to stand for election and the electorate’s right to choose the legislature.

The application was lodged with the European Court of Human Rights on 21 April 2021. Judgment was given by a Chamber of seven judges.

“The authorities’ failure to effectively resolve this gap or to provide a lawful alternative, whether through legislative or judicial intervention, had ultimately frustrated the choice of the people as expressed in May 2016” the decision says.

The Court found that there had been an interference with the applicant’s rights that had not been ‘lawful’, in violation of Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention.

The Court held that Cyprus was to pay the applicant 8,000 euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage.

Parliaments can play a key role in the legislative framework that should govern or guide technological progress in the public interest, said the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, in her opening address at the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit 2025, which is taking place on Thursday in Nicosia.

According to Demetriou, we are in a period of intense international instability and major challenges.

“In this environment, artificial intelligence and digital transformation are radically redefining our lives and work. This progress is valuable, but it also requires responsibility to understand it and shape it with a focus on people and their rights,” she noted.

She added that technology should not distance people from the core of society. “Imagination, intelligence, and ethical judgment cannot and should not be replaced. Artificial intelligence enhances talent, but the human dimension and guidance remain irreplaceable,” he noted.

In this context, investment in technology is a strategic lever for growth, with innovation boosting productivity, opening up new markets, and offering opportunities for the future, she noted, adding that at the state level, digital governance must be a tool for a modern, faster, and more efficient state.

Regarding the role of parliaments in particular, she said that they can play a key role in the legislative framework that should govern or guide technological progress in the public interest.

She added that the House of Representatives has set up a working group on artificial intelligence, the organisation of interparliamentary conferences and participation in European developments.

“Last year, the European Union adopted the first legislative package on AI, and others will certainly follow. However, it is important that we have the first legislative framework in place and, of course, it has set priorities for digital skills, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence,” she continued.

The House President added that, in view of Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the EU starting in January, the House of Representatives has already included artificial intelligence, its challenges and prospects among its priorities.

“Technological progress is our future, it is the next chapter in history. But we cannot write this chapter without values, without vision, without putting people at the center. Artificial intelligence can calculate, analyze, and predict. But it cannot dream, and dreaming is our privilege. With this privilege, we must build a future worthy of our people and our values. Initiatives such as the Digital Agenda Cyprus Summit are essential platforms for dialogue and fruitful exchange of knowledge and experience and must be supported and strengthened,” she concluded.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday that the agreement on the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza constitutes “a day of promise and hope for our region.”

In a post on X, the President welcomed the agreement on the 1st phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release.

”Full implementation by all is essential to end suffering and pave the way for lasting peace and a two-state solution. A day of promise and hope for our region”, he posted on his X account.

The government is modernising institutions, simplifying procedures and building accountability into everyday decision-making, to make Cyprus a country where governance works, business thrives and citizens feel that change is real, said Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki, in her opening speech at the Digital Agenda Summit, held on Thursday in Nicosia.

According to Piki, the Digital Agenda Summit has become one of Cyprus’ most vibrant platforms for ideas, for challenging assumptions and for inspiring us to think bigger.

‘When people hear the phrase digital transformation, they often think of technology, apps, algorithms and AI. When I hear it, I mostly think of people. I think of a citizen trying to fill, to renew a licence, of a small business owner filing for a permit and for a young researcher applying for funding. A parent enrolling their child in the school this year for the first time doing it fully online. That’s for me digital transformation. It is a state that is efficient, transparent, fair and delivery driven’, she continued.

‘This kind of change, of course, doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because we have decided as government to reimagine governance for the 21st century, to place people, trust and innovation at the heart of every reform’, she further stressed.

She added that through the newly formulated Secretariat for the Coordination and Support of Government Programme in the Presidency, ‘every reform, every project, every initiative is digitally tracked, measured and connected and it’s also available to all citizens’.

‘Through our digital platform, diakivernisi.gov.cy, anyone can explore what the government programme includes, what has been implemented and what is still in progress and through its special feature, citizens can go one step further, sharing ideas, proposals and feedback directly with the government. This is a simple but powerful tool that turns participation into policy and dialogue into better decisions’, she noted.

2025 is the year of digital transformation, a year dedicated to cutting bureaucracy, boosting competitiveness, and promoting transparency, continued the Deputy Minister, adding that in this effort, under the leadership of the Deputy Ministry for Digital Policy turns President Christodoulides’ vision into action every single day, ‘from cybersecurity, data governance, digital skills, modern infrastructure and seamless public services’.

‘Our collaboration proves that reform and technology are two sides of the same coin. Technology gives reform speed and reforms give technology its purpose’, she added.

Digital transformation is only part of a bigger story, the story of a state that is learning to reform itself, continued Piki, adding that the government is modernising institutions, simplifying procedures and building accountability into everyday decision-making.

‘From the new Business Support Centre, a single point of contact for investors and enterprises, to the tax reform that strengthens transparency and competitiveness. From the fast-track licencing system that delivers building permits in weeks instead of months, to the creation of a dedicated sanctions unit that protects the integrity of our economy. To make Cyprus a country where governance works, business thrives and citizens feel that change is real. Because reform is not a simple action, it’s in the mindset of this government. Of course, digital transformation is not only about systems, it’s also about people’, she pointed out in that regard.

She also referred to the new ‘Minds in Cyprus’ initiative, the government is turning brain drain into brain circulation, inviting Cypriots abroad and international experts to bring their knowledge and creativity home and to build more trust.

She added that Cyprus is increasingly on the radar of global technology leaders, adding that last April, President Christodoulides visited the United States and opened new channels of cooperation with some of the world’s most advanced innovation ecosystems.

‘From New York to Houston and to Silicon Valley, the focus was clear, bringing cutting-edge technology, investment and know-how to Cyprus, while connecting our local talent and research centres with international networks. Because the future isn’t built in isolation. It’s built through collaboration, credibility and trust’, she further stressed.

As Cyprus assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU the 1st of January of 2026, we will help advance Europe’s digital agenda, promoting innovation that serves its citizens, strengthens trust and safeguards human rights, continued the Deputy Minister.

‘Our focus will be on ensuring that Europe’s digital policies move from vision to implementation, that technology works for the people and not the other way around, and that the Union remains open, competitive and secure in the digital age. This is the bridge-building role Cyprus is ready to play. A small island but a stable partner in the region’, she noted.

‘Transformation is about technology, but at its heart, it’s mostly about trust. It’s about proving that the government can change, that public service can be agile and that citizens can once again believe in the world together. Our vision is simple: to prove that when reform is coordinated, transparent and human-centred, even a small state can make a big example. Because at the end, good governance is the best innovation of all’, she concluded.

In his welcome address, former Deputy Minister for Digital Policy and member of the summit’s organizing committee, Kyriakos Kokkinos, said that the summit brings together a lineup of speakers from Cyprus and from around the world, 38 in total, with a record-breaking 1,500 participants registered for the event.

‘The aim of this conference, as every year, is to open up a window to knowledge, put Cyprus on the map of knowledge and curiosity, and share information, but also convert information into knowledge and wisdom. Our approach, as every year, is positivism’, he continued.

‘Cyprus is a place of huge intellectual capital, human capacities and capabilities, and untapped potential. We are classified on the European rankings as a strong innovator, with the technology sector contributing almost 15% of our GDP’, he stressed.

According to Kokkinos, this year’s theme is Beyond AI, a human-centric conversation, not a technology conversation, ‘because the technology is not versus humanity, it’s technology for humanity.”

‘We want to focus on how innovation and technology serves people, not replaces them. We want to talk about smarter innovation, the ethical aspects of AI, how technology creates competitiveness for nations, for Europe. But above all, we want to talk about progress with a clear sense of purpose. We need to redefine or recalibrate our sense of purpose as humans, as Cyprus, as Europe, and this is what exactly this conference is all about’, he further explained.

He added that another important aspect on the agenda of the conference is why and how sciences like arts, humanities, social sciences matter more than ever.

‘This is a time that social sciences are more important than ever because without balancing out the fast pace of technological evolution with the considerations of social sciences and humanities, it would be impossible to cope’, he noted on the matter.

‘We as Cyprus, we need to be proud of our country. We are strong innovators. We have intellectual capital and human capital of immersed value. We are a small country and we can make happen. We just need to think positively. And this is what you will see today, this is the Cyprus that we are proud about’, he concluded.

Free health screening campaign for Greek Cypriot refugee settlements in Larnaka

The Mobile Clinic of the Medical School, in collaboration with the Municipality of Larnaka, the Pancyprian Refugee Association (PEP), and the Mobile Unit of the Dental Services of the Ministry of Health, are organizing a campaign to offer free health screenings to residents of Greek-Cypriot refugee settlements in the Municipality of Larnaka.

The campaign, running over the next two months, aims to both support the residents of refugee settlements as well as to give medical students the opportunity to contribute to public health under the supervision of clinical faculty.

The screenings will include blood pressure, glucose, and spirometry measurements. Furthermore, the Mobile Unit of the Dental Services will conduct dental examinations on 12 October and 9 November, while the University of Nicosia Medical School will perform electrocardiograms (ECGs) on 16 November.

A total of four events have been scheduled, which will take place as follows:

Sunday, 12 October: Tsiakileros and Kokkines (Church of St. Eleftherios)

Sunday, 26 October: Agioi Anargyroi (Church of St. Thekla)

Sunday, 9 November: Makarios III and Kamares (Church of Apostle Barnabas)

Sunday, 16 November: Voroklini (Church of Apostle Andreas)

This initiative forms part of the Medical School’s ongoing commitment to social responsibility and community outreach.