Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has expressed readiness to resume negotiations on reunifying Cyprus, eight years after the last UN-backed talks collapsed in Switzerland in 2017.
“I’m ready to resume negotiations even next week,” Christodoulides told Euronews in an exclusive interview on The Europe Conversation, just two months ahead of Cyprus assuming the EU Council presidency.
His optimism follows the election of pro-EU Social Democrat Tufan Erhüman as leader of Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus. Erhüman campaigned on a platform supporting reunification under a federal, bi-zonal, bi-communal model, reviving hopes for progress.
“If Erhüman comes to the negotiating table and talks clearly about a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, then I think the road is open for a solution based on the UN Security Council resolutions,” Christodoulides said, while firmly rejecting a two-state solution proposed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Christodoulides also highlighted the strategic importance of EU enlargement, warning that failure to deliver on promises could drive candidate countries, such as Montenegro, away from the EU and into the influence of non-EU actors.
Looking ahead to Cyprus’ EU presidency in January 2026, Christodoulides said his government aims to strengthen ties between the EU and the Middle East. Cyprus plans to repurpose its ‘Amalthea’ maritime humanitarian corridor to support reconstruction in Gaza, coordinating with US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The initiative focuses on humanitarian aid, economic recovery, and security cooperation, including potential training for Palestinian security forces and participation in a proposed international stabilisation force.
On European security, Christodoulides expressed skepticism about a swift end to the war in Ukraine. “I don’t see the end of the war in Ukraine coming,” he said, while reaffirming Europe’s support for Kyiv and opposition to Russia’s invasion. The Cypriot president plans to visit Ukraine in early December, shortly before Cyprus begins its EU Council presidency.
