Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said the island’s decades‑old division is not a “frozen conflict,” arguing that recent global events show such disputes can quickly reignite.
Speaking to Germany’s public broadcaster ZDF, Christodoulides said reunification would offer “extraordinary opportunities” for all communities on the island.
Asked whether the Cyprus issue had become a dormant dispute, he said the war in Gaza showed that “there is no such thing as a truly frozen conflict.”
“The current situation does not mean the Cyprus problem has reached its end,” he said. “It is dangerous for everyone living on the island. Reunification would create incredible opportunities for all.”
Christodoulides said Cyprus, as a small member state, has “no hidden agenda” for its EU presidency and that this often makes compromise easier. He outlined three priorities: strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy in terms of competitiveness, shaping the bloc’s economic framework for the coming years, and addressing migration and policies related to Ukraine.
He said the EU must acknowledge its dependence on the United States for defense, China for raw materials and Russia for energy, adding that “no one can speak of true strategic autonomy” under such conditions.
To change that, he said, Europe must boost its competitiveness, address high energy costs and build security and defense capacity without creating new dependencies.
Another goal of Cyprus’ presidency, he said, will be to deepen EU ties with Middle Eastern states, India and Gulf countries.
On Turkey, Christodoulides said Cyprus stands to benefit more than any other EU member from improved relations, but insisted that Ankara must first meet all criteria set by the bloc.
He added that he preferred “a neighbor oriented toward Europe rather than one open to other influences,” and said Cyprus would work to strengthen EU engagement with Middle Eastern partners.