Press Releases

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, held a meeting today, 19 March 2025, with the President of the European Parliament, Ms Roberta Metsola, in Brussels. 

In statements to the press, following their meeting, Ms Metsola welcomed President Christodoulides to the European Parliament and stated the following: 

“The President just arrived from Geneva, and briefed me on the latest state of play of the peace talks that were held there. There is hope on the horizon. In fact, the European Union and I reaffirm it to stand steadfast in supporting the United Nations (UN)-led settlement process as the only way to find a lasting solution. I am encouraged by the fact that this is the closest we have come so far since Crans-Montana. The first thing that I said when I was first elected President of this institution was that Europe will never be complete as long as Cyprus remains divided. And these words remain just as true today. The only way to reunify the island of Cyprus and its people is via communication, via diplomacy and negotiation. And that is why the Geneva talks and its continuation are so important. 

The European Parliament remains committed to supporting you, dear President, and Cyprus in any way necessary. So, let us seize this moment to transform division into unity and conflict into cooperation, because this is truly an opportunity to turn hope into history. 

We also use these few minutes together as an opportunity to discuss tomorrow's European Council meeting, where we have so many important topics on the agenda, from defence to competitiveness, to migration. On all of these, our citizens expect concrete results, which is essentially the message I give in every speech I present to the European Council. They expect also unity, and they expect resolute action to keep them safe. This is what tomorrow and the day after will be about. And ultimately, it is about how we can deliver and how fast we can deliver it. Europe has to step up, and I am very confident that we will”. 

On his part, President Christodoulides said: 

“Our meeting takes place in the aftermath of the Geneva informal meeting on the Cyprus issue, convened by the UN Secretary-General. I am very pleased to note that for the first time since Crans-Montana, since 2017, the Cyprus issue is on a positive trajectory as a result of our relentless efforts, with the invaluable support of the European Union and the European Parliament. 

On behalf of the people of Cyprus, I want to express our deepest appreciation for the steadfast support of the European Union, and in particular of the European Parliament, the EU’s democratically elected and representative body, for the reunification of my country, the last divided and under occupation member state. And as Roberta very correctly mentioned, European integration cannot be truly completed as long as Cyprus remains divided. 

The position of the European Parliament, and indeed the position of the international community, on the Cyprus issue could not be any clearer. There is only one basis for a solution, and that is the relevant UN Security Council resolutions for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with full respect of the principles, values, and the acquis of the European Union. 

As I continue exerting all efforts for the full resumption of negotiations, we are thankful for the European Union's support, for the European Parliament's support, for Roberta’s support and active engagement, which is both vital and tangible. 

With Roberta, we also discussed other issues on our common European agenda. Tomorrow, we have a very important European Council. We touched, of course, on Ukraine, the Middle East, competitiveness and defence. In these very challenging times we live in, I welcome the renewed focus of the European Union on defence and security, in particular. Cyprus is a very strong supporter of the European Union's strategic autonomy, including, of course, in the field of defence. 

Today, we also had the opportunity to exchange views for the upcoming Presidency of Cyprus for the Council of the European Union, starting in January 2026. We will work very closely with the European Parliament, to deliver a Presidency that will contribute to Europe's prosperity, resilience, and, of course, more integration”.  

Asked on the outcome of the informal meeting on Cyprus and the role of the European Union, President Christodoulides said: 

“As I have mentioned before, and as the UN Secretary-General mentioned yesterday, it is the first time since 2017 that we have positive developments. We agreed that the Secretary-General will appoint a Personal Envoy for the next steps in order to achieve the resumption of talks. We agreed that we are going to have a new meeting by the end of July. And, of course, we agreed on certain areas for Confidence-Building Measures in the island. 

On the role of the European Union: Cyprus is a member state of the European Union and will continue to be, following a possible solution to the Cyprus problem. We need to continue to be a functional, predictable member state of the European Union. And the European Union has a leading role to play − always under the UN auspices − in order to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. Let me remind you that Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004. The whole territory of the island is part of the European Union. The aquis was suspended in the areas that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus does not have effective control. So, the Cyprus problem is a European problem”. 

In her response, the President of the European Parliament said:

“This is not just a Cyprus question, but a European one. And in my talks, which were quite extensive actually, this afternoon with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, this was also held against the background of what the European Union could do. This is a position that we have held, that any possible solution should be done within the UN framework and we will support it. We will support it with all means necessary, both with regards to our political statements, but also with regards to making sure that when we talk about the path forward, we are talking about a single sovereign European state. This is what we had in mind when Cyprus joined the European Union 21 years ago, and this is a position that we will hold. And therefore, we will welcome any measures aimed at building trust, at moving forward. And we will look forward also towards the July meeting, where progress will definitely be made”. 

In response to a question regarding Ukraine and what the lack of European unity might mean in such crucial moment, President Christodoulides said: 

“In these very challenging times, as a European Union, we need to be united. With full respect to possible different approaches, different ideas, we need to sit down and find a common 27-member states approach. Otherwise, we are sending a very negative message abroad. We cannot play the role that we would like to play at international affairs if, as a European Union, we are not united. So, we need to find a way and have a common position tomorrow. This is the approach of Cyprus. That is what we are going to try to do through the discussions with full respect – I repeat this – on possible different approaches. International law is not à la carte, occupation is occupation, respect of the sovereignty of the territorial integrity of the member states, I really believe all 27 member states can agree on”. 

In her response, President Metsola said: “I would also start by focusing on the many times we have had unanimous decisions over the past three years, ever since Russia invaded Ukraine. And I say this, because it is not a given that so many decisions are taken by unanimity at 27. Whether it is successive European Councils, decisions on admitting Ukraine, for example, to be a candidate for enlargement and then becoming an accession country. Until a few days ago, another sanctions package adopted by unanimity at 27. The reality is, of course, what we saw a week and a half ago, where for the first time we had European Council Conclusions that were adopted at 26. We would not, as European Parliament, advocate for that to become a habit. We also see the precedent and its dangers, of countries walking away from the practice of having consensus. But we are also living in unprecedented times. So, if what it takes is for 26 to go ahead with the most strong and common text, then we will push for that. But, of course, we will always ask that we have a level of unity as high as possible”. 

(MPat/AS/GS)