The President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides is paying a working visit on Friday to Berlin, where he will meet with the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, ahead of the Republic of Cyprus assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January 2026.
Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said in a written statement that President Christodoulides’ working visit to Berlin is taking place within the framework of the ongoing upgrade of Cyprus–Germany relations, which in recent years have been significantly strengthened at the political, economic, and European level.
The President of the Republic will go to the Chancellery, where at 2pm (Cyprus time) he will have a private meeting with the German Chancellor. This will be followed by expanded talks between the delegations of the two countries over a working lunch, after which the two leaders will make statements to the media.
According to Letymbiotis, the talks will focus on the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union, kicking off on 1 January, 2026, with particular emphasis on the Multiannual Financial Framework and on strengthening the competitiveness of the European economy. At the same time, there will be an exchange of views on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, as well as on cooperation between the two countries on European matters.
The agenda will also include a review of the excellent level of bilateral relations in areas such as defence and security, tourism, shipping, and education, the Spokesman said.
“The visit confirms the firm intention of the two countries to further strengthen their cooperation, making use of the momentum created in recent years,” Letymbiotis noted, noting that in February 2024 the first official visit of a German President to Cyprus took place since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The President of the Republic, who will return to Cyprus on Friday evening, will be accompanied by the Government Spokesman, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, the Director of the President’s Diplomatic Office Doros Venezis, and other senior officials.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
(Source: CNA)
