Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, who underwent open heart surgery at Mt Sinai Hospital in NYC this past week, has been transferred to a room in the cardiovascular ward where he will remain for the next few days, Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides has said.

Speaking to CNA on Sunday, the Spokesman said that doctors are confident that the President will be able to return home before the Christmas holidays.

On Saturday, Dr. Savvas Kadis, one of the two Cypriot doctors who have accompanied the President to New York, said he is in a very good condition, in good spirits and the dosage of pain killers he has been taking has been reduced and thus the President can stay awake more hours.

The President was also able to walk with the assistance of his nurses and he is taking food normally.

Anastasiades is scheduled to remain in hospital a few more days and then at his hotel to recover further before returning to Cyprus.

The President was operated by renowned mitral valve surgeon Dr. David Adams, who is the Cardiac Surgeon-in-Chief at Mount Sinai. Dr. Adams and his team repaired the President`s mitral and tricuspid valves, which were leaking due to a degenerative valve condition.

Replying to other questions, the Spokesman said final decisions as to who will represent the President at the forthcoming European Council on 18-19 December in Brussels will be taken this week.