Sánchez and Christodoulides discuss the Cypriot Presidency and the country’s division

Eduardo González The President of the Government Pedro Sánchez met with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, in Madrid on Monday. They discussed the priorities of the upcoming Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will take place in the first half of 2026, and the perennial problem of the country's territorial and political division. According to the Cypriot Presidency, the meeting took place in the context of the president's international tour in preparation for the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU). Spain is the first EU member state on this tour. During the meeting, according to the same source, issues related to the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency (with an emphasis on the Mediterranean dimension and migration), bilateral relations between Cyprus and Spain, and the situation in the Middle East were discussed. The President of Cyprus also briefed Sánchez on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus problem, with a view to a new, expanded conference in Geneva scheduled for next July. They discussed how Spain can assist in efforts to resume talks based on the agreed framework and the principles and values of the EU. The country has been divided since 1974 between the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Turkey, and the Republic of Cyprus, a majority Greek Cypriot entity with its capital in Nicosia, which does enjoy international recognition and is even listed as an EU Member State. This is the second meeting between the two leaders. The previous meeting took place in Nicosia in April 2023, just two months after Christodoulides took office. Christodoulides also traveled to Granada in October 2023 to participate in the European Political Summit and the informal European Council. During the meeting in Nicosia, which took place as part of the Prime Minister's tour of several European capitals to prepare for Spain's presidency of the EU Council, Sánchez reiterated "Spain's resounding support for achieving a definitive, negotiated solution to the Cyprus issue" and stated, in a press conference, that this solution "must be based on respect for international law and the various resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and must be embodied in an agreement based on a bicommunal and bizonal federation that guarantees coexistence, peace, and prosperity for its inhabitants." For his part, Nikos Christodoulides "thanked Spain for its position on the Cyprus problem," stated that "Spain has a particular sensitivity regarding issues related to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence," and called for the EU to play "a stronger and more proactive role" in his country's efforts "to break the deadlock and resume talks from where they left off." The King also held a meeting and then lunch at Zarzuela Palace with Nikos Christodoulides. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary of State for the European Union, Fernando Mariano Sampedro; the Deputy Minister of the Republic of Cyprus, Marilena Raouna; and the Cypriot Ambassador to Spain, Michalis Ioannou. The 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be commemorated in 2027, the Royal Household recalled.

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