President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides has stated that everyone now recognizes the Greek Cypriot side’s constructive approach on the Cyprus problem and is focusing on Turkey for the resumption of meaningful talks, based on the agreed framework.
In a televised address on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of Cyprus’ Independence Day, President Christodoulides also turned to Turkish Cypriots, assuring them that he hears their concerns and desires for reunification, adding he hopes the tripartite meeting that will take place in October with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar in the presence of UNSG Antonio Guterres will yield positive results.
In the address, he said this year marks 64 years since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, the pinnacle moment in our long history, “the result of enduring struggles of our people, culminating in the anti-colonial fight that led to the independence of our homeland.”
The celebration of the Republic of Cyprus is also a day of remembrance, honour, and reverence for all those who, through their struggle and sacrifices, succeeded in making Cyprus an independent and sovereign state, the President added.
The President remarked that from the very moment of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, “there has unfortunately been no shortage of difficulties, challenges, or threats” as continuous struggles were required to maintain our independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity and there was never a moment that was not questioned.
Recalling 1974, President Christodoulides said that “at a still tender age, our homeland suffered a double crime. The treacherous coup d’état by the Junta provided Turkey with the pretext it was seeking to proceed with its brutal invasion, with all the tragic consequences that we have continued to endure for the past 50 years. For half a century: the occupation of 37% of its territory, displacement, the missing persons, the enclaved, the deprivation of properties and ancestral homes, and the destruction of our cultural and religious heritage”.
Despite the difficulties, destruction, and suffering that followed, the Republic of Cyprus and our people rallied their forces, worked hard, achieving, in 2004, accession to the great European family and then, in 2008, to the Eurozone, the President said.
Undoubtedly, he added, “our accession to the European Union was the most significant development in the history of our country after independence, as it integrated our country into a core group of countries with which it would share a common future and mutually beneficial interactions in multiple areas. Since then, our status as a member state of the European family has positively influenced all aspects of our daily lives, raising the standard of living for our citizens and opening new avenues for students, graduates, entrepreneurs, and all Cypriot European citizens”.
Half a century since the dark summer of 1974, said President Christodoulides, “our homeland remains under occupation, with the unacceptable status quo posing serious risks and preventing us from fully harnessing the prospects and opportunities that Cyprus and its people could have. As I have repeatedly stated, it is imperative that we free ourselves from occupation and division and provide our children with open horizons of peace and security to create and thrive”.
From the very first day I assumed the governance of the country, Christodoulides said, “with a specific plan and strategy, leveraging our status as a Member State of the European Union and our relationships with significant actors in the international system, we have managed to activate international interest, taking initiatives and demonstrating our political will in practice”.
Returning from the United Nations General Assembly, said President Christodoulides, “I can confidently state that everyone now acknowledges our constructive approach and is focusing on Turkey for the resumption of substantive negotiations, based on the agreed framework”.
The President said it was a week filled with back-to-back meetings, noting “we are making use of every interaction, and I am personally doing so. For Cyprus. Consciously staying focused on the significant and the major issues. I am ready, and I am fully aware of our goals and aspirations, as well as the limits of compromise and our red lines.”
“I am hopeful that, within October, the meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General and the Turkish Cypriot leader will take place and yield positive results. Addressing our Turkish Cypriot compatriots, I assure them that I clearly hear their anxiety and desire for reunification, for coexistence, and for co-creation in our shared home—the Republic of Cyprus, a Member State of the European Union,” he noted.
President Christodoulides, “our vision, primary objective, and goal is to improve the daily life of every single one of you, in a Cyprus that is truly changing, constantly reforming. With a responsible economic policy, a modern digital state, a model of transparency and accountability, socially sensitive and proud of its role in the region.”
He said within this framework, focusing on people and their well-being, we have implemented policies to modernise our state, enhancing the everyday life of citizens and providing solutions to long-standing issues that have troubled them across all sectors.
President Christodoulides outlined the government’s actions, noting it has moved forward swiftly. He gave as an example, the implementation of the most comprehensive Housing Policy and it has changed procedures to tackle bureaucracy and is advancing the digitisation of the state. He said the government has succeeded in processing institutionalized pension payments within one month, extended maternity leave from 18 to 22 weeks, strengthened child benefits and implemented the “Neighbourhood Social Worker” programme nationwide while it has increased the number of full-day schools, reduced the mandatory school attendance age to four years, and provided financial assistance to families with children at the start of the school year. It also revised the minimum wage and is announcing a support programme for the elderly while addressing energy costs with specific schemes such as “Photovoltaics for All.”
At the same time, it has successfully managed one of the greatest challenges—migration. “To safeguard the interests of the Cypriot people, we took decisive action to terminate and renegotiate problematic public contracts. We did not hesitate to seek the assistance of foreign authorities in investigating corruption cases. We are advancing bold reforms that impact all state institutions within the framework of transparency, accountability, and more effective governance, starting from the executive Power with the establishment of the Advisory Council, the Internal Audit Unit in the Presidency, and the process of creating a Unified Supervisory Authority.
We continue with the Legal Service, the Audit Office, and the Central Bank, ensuring transparency and accountability everywhere, the President said, “with absolute respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.”
“The public interest is our primary and sole motivation, in a changing Cyprus. We are here to serve only the interests of the Cypriot people, to whom we are exclusively accountable,” he stressed.
Cyprus, he added, has the second-highest growth rate in the European Union, reaching 3.7% in 2024, and one of the lowest inflation rates, below 2%. During these 19 months of our administration, “we have seen consecutive upgrades of our economy by all international credit rating agencies, which have raised our rating to a higher investment grade. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in the past fifteen years, and the fiscal surplus is expected to reach 3.3% of GDP in 2025, while public debt as a percentage of GDP is projected to decrease to 64.2% in 2025, approximately 5% lower compared to 2024”.
Concluding, President Christodoulides said “our State, the Republic of Cyprus, is our greatest achievement and safeguarding and strengthening its status, both domestically and internationally, is a top priority. United, we continue to work towards transforming our country into a place of peace, security, prosperity, and progress—for everyone, without exclusions”.
