President Nikos Christodoulides has said that Cyprus has, for the first time, seen “solidarity in practice and not just in statements” from the European Union, following recent regional tensions. His remarks came during a meeting at the Presidential Palace with Nikos Androulakis, leader of Greece’s PASOK–Movement for Change party.
Christodoulides said Cyprus is “part of the solution, not part of the problems” in the region, adding that he remains in close contact with regional leaders who also seek de‑escalation. He expressed hope that emerging international initiatives would lead to a reduction in tensions, which he said affect Europe as a whole.
Androulakis thanked Christodoulides for the meeting, saying no EU member state should participate in the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran. He called for “unlimited solidarity” among EU members and welcomed the support shown to Cyprus by Greece and other European states.
He said this level of solidarity “was not a given decades ago,” describing it as a result of Cyprus’ accession to the EU. Androulakis also urged strong diplomatic initiatives from both Cyprus and the EU to help restore stability in the Middle East.
On the Cyprus issue, Androulakis reaffirmed his party’s support for a settlement based on U.N. resolutions and rejected any prospect of a two‑state arrangement.
Christodoulides said the EU’s response demonstrated that “the security of Cyprus is also the security of the EU,” noting that this directly relates to the core chapter of security and guarantees in the Cyprus negotiations. He said his recent meeting with the U.N. secretary‑general in Brussels was “very encouraging” and that Cyprus is committed to restarting substantive talks using the existing negotiating framework.
He added that unresolved conflicts can quickly deteriorate and that Cyprus is prepared to take the necessary decisions to reunify the island.