‘All government actions serve goal of solving Cyprus problem’

Our general strategy is to substantially upgrade the Republic of Cyprus to face internal and external challenges, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday, adding that all government actions serve the goal of resolving the Cyprus problem.

Speaking too Phileleftheros, he said he would make a decision in 2027 on whether to run in the 2028 presidential election.

He also said that political equality, as recorded in UN resolutions, “has never been questioned by us”.

Political equality, he added, was questioned by former Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who interpreted it as sovereign equality.

Regarding current Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman’s public statements on political equality, he said that governance is one of the six chapters of the Cyprus problem and they should all be discussed with the aim of resolving the Cyprus problem.

He said he hoped to resume talks as soon as possible and underlined that the island taking over the presidency of the EU council as of January 1 would not affect the Greek Cypriot side’s availability to participate in a multilateral conference on the Cyprus problem.

Christodoulides said there is no indication of American intervention in the Cyprus problem, and discussions with the US on the Cyprus problem are part of the general context of discussions on the need for Cyprus to be a reliable and predictable partner of in the region, he added.

In relation to the GSI, he said that during the visit to Israel, the substantial promotion of the IMEC economic and geostrategic corridor through Cyprus was discussed, with an emphasis on the GSI project and the Israel-Cyprus connection, with the prospect of expansion to Jordan, Saudi Arabia and India.

In relation to the interconnection with Greece, he reiterated that the project is considered of strategic importance for Cyprus and that Nicosia is in constant contact with the Greek government.

“On the issue of the electrical interconnection, with the Greek Prime Minister we have agreed not only to proceed with the update of the relevant studies but also under what conditions the €25 million will be paid by the Republic of Cyprus, as we decided in the Council of Ministers,” he said.

While differences of opinion have been expressed by ministers, Christodoulides said it is the finance minister’s job, “to express his views on all issues that have an economic aspect”, while that the job of the energy minister “is different”, to express his opinion on energy issues.

He noted that at the same time, the Cyprus-Lebanon electrical interconnection and the strengthening of cooperation with the UAE in water and energy are being promoted.

At the beginning of 2026, he said, a group of Cyprus ministers will go to the UAE to institutionalise cooperation on the issue of water and energy.

He said agreements with countries such as the UAE, France, Israel and in the future with other states, such as India, aim to strengthen the geostrategic upgrade of Cyprus and improve the daily life and standard of living of residents.