Cyprus is changing, creating hope for all its people, President says in New Year's message

Cyprus is changing and moving forward, creating hope and perspective for all our people, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said in his televised New Year's message, noting that we welcome 2025 having as our main goal to continue improving the citizens' everyday lives. 

Today, he said, "awaiting for the arrival of 2025, I assure you sincerely and responsibly, that Cyprus is changing. Cyprus is changing and moving forward, with confidence and certainty, creating hope and perspective for all our people."

"We welcome 2025 and the central goal remains the improvement of the everyday life of every citizen. Let us therefore look to the future with vision, with optimism, with hope and with perspective, stronger than ever and always united" he added.

The President took stock of 2024 as regards the Cyprus issue, the internal governance, the economy and foreign policy.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, the President said that despite the challenges, problems, the intransigence and the demand of the Turkish side to change the basis of the Cyprus solution, "we succeeded with persistent and coordinated diplomatic moves" the reactivation of the international factor and the re-engagement, personally of the UN Secretary General in a new initiative to lift the impasse and resume the talks.

"We worked towards this direction on the basis of a specific plan, capitalizing on the strengthening of our international footprint and our status as an EU member state, creating incentives and conditions for a change in the Turkish stance. We succeeded in linking in a clear, gradual, proportionate and reversible manner, in the Conclusions of the European Council, the course of EU-Turkish relations with the substantial progress towards a solution to the Cyprus problem. A framework that can lead to a mutually beneficial state of affairs through the solution of the Cyprus problem", President Christodoulides stressed.

Furthermore, he said he looks forward and is fully prepared for his meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader "but much more for the expanded meeting under the auspices of the UN" and that he is ready to work with the sole goal of ending the occupation and reunifying our homeland.

"I am ready to assume my historical responsibility, reuniting our land and people, fully utilizing the prospects of our homeland for the benefit of the entire Cypriot people, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins", he underlined.

Cyprus is changing internationally as well, the President said, noting that with actions "we have substantially strengthened the international footprint of our country, taking bold initiatives" and referred to the Amaltheia humanitarian sea corridor for Gaza, the election of Cyprus for the first time to the UN Human Rights Council, the establishment of a strategic dialogue with the United States, the successful presidency of the 9 Mediterranean States of the EU. 

He also talked about his visit to the White House, the first one after 28 years, the visit of the British Prime Minister to Cyprus after 53 years, the visits of the German and Italian Presidents to Cyprus and many others.

Moreover, he said that we have strengthened our role in the European Union with specific initiatives, while preparing "for the great challenge" of assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU on January 1, 2026.

The year 2024, he said, was the year "when we felt the first substantial, tangible results of our policies. Those policies that put people at the center."

Speaking about internal governance, he said that we launched bold solutions to achieve our central goal, namely, the improvement of the everyday life and quality of life of every Cypriot citizen, moving into a new era, more modern, more inclusive. He gave as an example the seven Housing Policy Plans, the increase in the number of Optional All-Day Schools, the measures to address the demographic problem, such as the increase in maternity leave, childbirth allowance, parental leave allowance. The President also referred to the roadmap for an investment for Public Hospitals, the successful and effective management of Immigration, the start of the digitization of the state through the operation of the Digital Citizen, the measures to address inflationary trends, the strengthening of Accountability and Transparency.

"There is a lot that has been done on the basis of the Social Contract that we signed together on February 12, 2023" he said. 

Referring to the economy, he said that during the 22 months in office, the government has proven "that our responsible approach brings results, and our country is on a remarkable economic path."

In 2024, he said, Cyprus will achieve the third highest growth rate in the Eurozone, while inflation for 2024 is expected to fluctuate below 2%, from 3.5% last year.

"Our fiscal position is also strong, with a surplus reaching around 4%, while at the same time we achieved the largest reduction in public debt among the Member States of the European Union between the first and second quarters of 2024," he stressed.

President Christodoulides noted that we are near full employment conditions, with unemployment at its lowest rate in 15 years, while new jobs are increasing significantly.

He said that the continuous upgrades of Cyprus' credit rating by all Rating Agencies, which now classify it, after 13 years, in investment grade A, is a vote of confidence.

The upward trajectory of our economy, he added, and the continuous upgrades, bring specific benefits and tangible advantages for businesses, households and all the people of Cyprus. 

(Source: CNA)