Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, accompanied by his wife Ms Andri Anastasiades, arrived at the Vatican yesterday, to pay an official visit.

Today at 10a.m. (Cyprus time), the President of the Republic will have a meeting at the Holy See with Pope Francis I.

During the meeting, President Anastasiades will inform Pope Francis on the current situation in the Cyprus problem. Furthermore, issues related to climate change will be discussed, placing emphasis on an initiative of the Republic of Cyprus aimed at dealing with its consequences in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East region. Immigration and the challenges facing the Republic of Cyprus will also be discussed, with President Anastasiades pointing out that the ever-increasing influx of migrants who are irregularly crossing the Green Line to the territories controlled by the government, are coming from Turkey through the occupied territories as part of a systematic effort to instrumentalize the immigration crisis at the expense of Cyprus. Regional developments and bilateral relations between Cyprus and the Vatican will also be reviewed.                                                                            

Later on, President Anastasiades will have a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal, Pietro Parolin, and the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations Archbishop, Paul Richard Gallagher.

In the evening, President Anastasiades will attend a dinner hosted in his honour by the Ambassador of Cyprus to the Vatican George Poulides, in the presence of the Secretary of State of the Holy See, during which the President of the Republic will be decorated by Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin with the Collar of the Order of Knights of Pope Pius IX.

During his contacts at the Holy See, President Anastasiades is accompanied by Government Spokesman, Mr Marios Pelekanos, the Ambassador of Cyprus to the Vatican, Mr George Poulides, the Director of the Office of the President of the Republic, Mr Pantelis Pantelides, the Deputy Government Spokeswoman, Ms Niovi Parisinou, and other officials.

(MH)