Press Releases

Fellow compatriots,

In a few hours, we will welcome 2025.

The end of a year marks  milestone, when each and every one of us pauses to reflect, to review the past, to evaluate what has been achieved and to continue stronger towards achieving our goals.

As the President of the Republic of Cyprus, I have first and foremost the duty and obligation to reflect on and assess the work of the government, noting the positive and all that has been achieved, as well as everything that remains to be accomplished in order to move even further ahead.

Today, in anticipation of the New Year of 2025, facing you, as always, with honesty and responsibility, I assure you that Cyprus is changing. Cyprus is changing and moving forward, with confidence and certainty, creating hope and perspective for the whole of our people.

The year of 2024 was the year when we experienced the first substantial, tangible results of our policies. Those policies that placed People at the centre, with emphasis on the many, not the few.

We have launched bold solutions to achieve our main objective: Improving the everyday life and the quality of life of each Cypriot citizen, moving on to a new era, more modern, more inclusive.

I indicatively mention:

• The seven Housing Policy Schemes that are being fully utilised, especially by our country’s New Generation.

• The Schemes to tackle the energy costs for housing units, businesses and our farmers, that are being utilised daily.

• The increase in the number of All-Day Primary Schools, the gradual expansion of compulsory pre-primary education, as well as the expansion of the tuition and food subsidy scheme.

• The substantial measures taken to address the demographic issue, such as the increase of maternity leave, of the multiple children mothers’ allowance, the childbirth allowance, the parental leave allowance and many others, with the amount invested in these schemes exceeding €100 million.

• The road map to invest more than €128 million for Public Hospitals and especially for the upgrade of the Accidents & Emergency Departments in all districts.

• The holistic, successful response to the migration issues, for which we have received international recognition.

• The start of the digitisation of the state through the operation of the Digital Citizen, which in combination with the continuous simplification of the relevant licensing procedures by the Ministry of Interior minimise bureaucracy and enhance a more citizen-friendly state.

• The acceleration and modernisation of public procedures, resulting in the payment of maternity, paternity and unemployment benefits, as well as the payment of statutory pension within 30 days.

• Measures to address the inflationary tendencies to support households, worth over 700 million euros.

• Reinforcing accountability and transparency through the establishment and operation of the Advisory Council, the operation of electronic platforms for the timely and centralised communication of society, and the preparation of bills for the modernisation of the Law office and the Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus.

• The fortification of the deterrent power of our country, including the upgrading of working terms of the members of the National Guard.

• The completion and submission to the House of Representatives of a series of important bills on Health issues.

• The activation of the National Solidarity Fund.

• Our refugee policy, where in addition to the ‘ktiZO’, the largest housing intervention by the state since the 70s, we have proceeded with a new framework for the management of Turkish Cypriot properties, based on merit, with full guarantee of equality and transparency, while at the same time we have modified the criteria of the Housing Schemes to allow more beneficiaries to apply.

Much has been achieved on the basis of the Social Contract that we have mutually signed on 12^th February 2023. I will have the opportunity to make a detailed assessment when my two years in office are completed.

To achieve all this, dear friends, to have a welfare state and substantial social policies, the existence of strong, resilient and competitive economy is a prerequisite. And in these 22 months of governance we have proven that our responsible approach is delivering results, and our country is on a remarkable economic path. In 2024, we are expected to achieve the third highest growth rate in the Eurozone, while inflation for 2024 is expected to remain below 2%, down from 3.5% last year. Our fiscal position is also strong, with a surplus of around 4%, while at the same time we have achieved the largest reduction in public debt among the Member States of the European Union between the first and second trimester of 2024. At the same time, we are approaching full employment conditions, with unemployment at its lowest rate in 15 years, while at the same time, new job positions have been growing rapidly.

The continuous upgrade of Cyprus' credit ratings by all the credit rating agencies, which now, after 13 years, position it in investment grade A, constitute a vote of confidence in our economic policy and the strong prospects of our country.

The upward trajectory of our economy and the continuous upgrades spell out into specific benefits, tangible outcome for businesses, households and the entire Cypriot people, such as:

• Attracting high quality investments that create new, well-paid jobs, especially for the younger generation, so that our young people can view their future in their homeland and not abroad,
• Lower interest rates, as countries with strong credit ratings tend to enjoy more favourable borrowing conditions,
• Improved economic stability, leading to greater job security and better wages, and of course,
• The ability of the State to pursue targeted social policy and invest in sectors where we have an obligation to improve the quality, such as Health, Education, the Welfare State, Digital Transformation and, more generally, actions that benefit the entirety of the Cypriot people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Cyprus is changing, both domestically and internationally. In our Foreign Policy, with actions and not words, we have substantially strengthened our country's international footprint, by taking bold initiatives such as the Amalthea Plan, our election for the first time to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, the establishment of our strategic dialogue with the United States, the institutionalisation of our cooperation with Greece, with neighbouring states and powerful actors of the international system, with the successful exercise of the Presidency of the 9 Mediterranean States of the EU.

It was in this framework that my visit to the White House after 28 years, the visit of the British Prime Minister to Cyprus after 53 years, the visits of the German and Italian Presidents to our country and many others took place. With the same earnestness, we have strengthened our role in the European Union with concrete initiatives, while we are preparing for the great challenge of assuming the Presidency of the European Council on 1 January 2026.

Dear Friends,

Strengthening our country's power factors, both internally and externally, adds decisively to our effort to achieve our top priority, which is none other than the end of the occupation, the liberation and reunification of our country.

From the first day I took office as President of the Republic, I have been making every effort to resume the talks from where they left off and to resolve the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework, building on the negotiating acquis and respecting the principles and values of the EU.

This year in particular, marked by the sombre anniversary of the 50 years since the Turkish invasion and the continued occupation of 37% of our country, we commemorate and honour all those who sacrificed themselves so that the Republic of Cyprus exists today, the displaced and the victims, our heroic enclaved, the relatives of our fallen and missing persons, and we further intensify our efforts to end the unacceptable status quo.

Despite the challenges, ladies and gentlemen, the problems, the intransigence and the Turkish side's demand for a change of the basis of the solution, we succeeded, through persistent and coordinated diplomatic moves and after convincing them of our clear and sincere political will, the seriousness of our intentions and constructive initiatives, the re-activation of the international community and the re-engagement of the United Nations Secretary-General personally in a new initiative to break the deadlock and resume the talks. 

In this direction we have worked on the basis of a specific plan, utilising the reinforcement of our international footprint and our status as an EU member state, creating incentives and conditions for a change in Turkey's stance. We have succeeded in interlinking in a concrete, progressive, proportionate and reversible way, in the European Council Conclusions, the course of Euro-Turkish relations with the substantial progress towards a solution of the Cyprus problem.  A framework that can lead to a mutually beneficial state of affairs through the resolution of the Cyprus problem. 

I look forward and I am fully prepared for my meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader but even more so for the expanded meeting under the auspices of the UN. I am ready to work with the sole aim of ending the occupation and reuniting our homeland. I am ready to assume my historic responsibility, reuniting our land and our people, realising the full potential of our homeland for the benefit of all the Cypriot people, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins.

Dear Friends,

As we bid farewell to 2024, it is clear that hard work, planning, dedication, methodicalness and perseverance, focusing on key areas that affect the whole of society, the many and not the few, our children and families, are bearing fruit and leading Cyprus to its rightful place. Our rightful place. Together with all my colleagues in the Council of Ministers, working hard and with dedication, always with

People at the heart of our policies, we are CHANGING Cyprus.

We are changing it Together, with all of you.

Together, we move forward.

We welcome 2025, and the main objective remains the improvement of the daily life of every citizen.

So let us gaze into the future with vision, optimism, hope and perspective, stronger than ever, and always united.

Welcome 2025.

Happy and Blessed Year to everyone!

Many blessings to you all!

____________________

Note: For the televised address of the President of the Republic in Greek press here.

Note: For the televised address in the Turkish language press here. 

(ΙΑ/ΑS/NZ)