President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides has called on communities across government-controlled Cyprus to prepare and mature development projects ahead of a planned €3.5 billion programme of investments to be approved by the government in 2027.
Speaking on Friday evening as he arrived at an event in the community of Dymes, Christodoulides said the Cabinet would decide and announce projects across government-controlled Cyprus during 2027.
The funding would comprise approximately €2.5 billion expected to be allocated to Cyprus under the EU's next seven-year budget, together with a €1 billion contribution from the Republic of Cyprus.
Government preparing major investment programme
Christodoulides said discussions earlier in the day with European Council President António Costa had focused to a large extent on the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-34.
He said negotiations were at a final stage, with the government aiming for a political agreement by the end of the year.
Based on the current figures, he said, Cyprus was expected to receive around €2.5 billion from the EU budget, with the Republic contributing a further €1 billion.
Against this backdrop, the President urged communities to prepare projects that could be approved and implemented as part of the government's 2027 investment programme.
“I want to use today's opportunity to call on all our communities, as a government we place particular emphasis on our countryside, to mature projects so that they can be approved by the government in 2027,” he said.
He added that the government was committed to supporting rural communities through infrastructure projects that could provide further impetus to their development.
Christodoulides also noted that his visit to Dymes was the first visit by a President of the Republic to the community, describing support for rural areas as both an obligation and something that should be demonstrated in practice.
Cyprus seeking greater role in European energy security
Asked about Cyprus's role in the EU's energy security, following comments by Costa earlier in the day, Christodoulides said the government was pursuing a two-pronged approach.
The first concerns Cyprus's own energy security, including the completion of infrastructure for the arrival of natural gas at Vasilikos.
He said the tender process had already been launched and was progressing.
The second element concerns the Republic of Cyprus's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the development of its offshore blocks.
Christodoulides said that, beyond the blocks already allocated, Cyprus was in discussions with major energy companies over the allocation of additional blocks.
The objective, he said, was to help establish an alternative energy corridor to Europe through the Eastern Mediterranean, in cooperation with Egypt and Israel and potentially other countries in the region.
He stressed that European and EU member states' energy security was a matter of the highest priority, particularly in light of developments since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Cyprus pushing for Schengen decision
Asked about Cyprus's readiness to join the Schengen Area, and whether it had received any messages from the EU on the matter, Christodoulides pointed to the European Commission's recent assessment of Cyprus.
He described the report as highly positive and said it recommended that Cyprus's request for full accession to the Schengen Area be examined as a priority.
The government, he said, was working towards securing a political decision as soon as possible.
Such a decision would be taken by the Council of the EU, at the level of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, with Cyprus working with both the member states and the European Commission to advance the process.
Christodoulides said the government was seeking to secure the political decision “as quickly as possible”, describing it as an important step for the Republic of Cyprus.
