Cyprus and Lebanon reaffirm commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation

President Nicos Christodoulides has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation between Cyprus and Lebanon in key areas such as defence, security, energy, migration, trade, and tourism.

President Christodoulides was speaking during the tete-a-tete meeting he had at the Presidential Palace with the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who is paying an official visit to Cyprus.

Welcoming his Lebanese counterpart, President Christodoulides expressed his pleasure at hosting President Aoun, following the visit he paid to Lebanon and the constructive meeting between the two leaders had in Paris.

"I am looking forward to our deliberations. We have excellent relations; we are working very closely together. At the same time, there is a clear political will to do much more—to enhance our cooperation on defence, on security, on energy, on migration, on trade, on tourism," President Christodoulides said.

He further noted that, at the same time Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026 and he assured him that “we will do our utmost in order to raise awareness about the importance of Lebanon to the region and to the EU”.

"Within this context, I would be more than happy to receive you again in April 2026, when we will host an informal meeting between leaders of the region and the EU," he added.

Concluding his opening remarks, President Christodoulides publicly reiterated the Republic of Cyprus clear position for the respect of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On his part, President Aoun expressed his appreciation for Cyprus longstanding support for Lebanon, highlighting the geographic proximity and the shared interests and challenges faced by the two countries.

“Cyprus has always been supportive to Lebanon,” he said, noting that his country counts on Cyprus’s continued support—especially during its upcoming EU Presidency.

The two leaders were later joined by their respective delegations for expanded talks.

(Source: CNA)