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Cyprus President And Turkish Cypriot Leader Explore New Crossing Points In Key Meeting

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 20, 2025

On Monday, President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will meet at the residence of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, located in the UN Protected Area at Nicosia airport. The two leaders will discuss the potential opening of new crossing points across the divided island.

This meeting follows an October 15, 2024 agreement made during an informal dinner hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York. The leaders had expressed a shared interest in exploring ways to increase movement between the north and south of Cyprus.

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The Greek Cypriot side has already proposed the opening of crossing points at Pyroi and Kokkina, which were submitted during prior meetings of the negotiators with Stewart. Meanwhile, the Turkish Cypriot side has raised the possibility of opening a regular crossing point at Mia Milia.

In his recent report to the UN Security Council on the renewal of the UNFICYP mandate, Guterres welcomed the commitments made by both Cypriot leaders to consider the opening of additional crossing points. “We are approaching the meeting with a constructive attitude and a commitment to progress,” stated the Government Spokesman to the Cypriot News Agency (CNA) on Sunday. He noted that the groundwork had been laid with specific proposals and positions, and expressed hope that these would be discussed with the same positive and sincere spirit.

In the lead-up to the meeting, residents of the Paphos district gathered on Saturday in Pachyammos, advocating for the opening of a crossing point at Kokkina. On Friday, joint events were held by Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot organizations at the Ayios Dometios checkpoint, calling for the establishment of new crossing points.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the island’s northern third. Despite several rounds of UN-led peace talks, a comprehensive settlement has yet to be reached, with the latest negotiations held at the Crans-Montana resort in Switzerland in July 2017 ending without progress.

The informal meeting in New York in October saw both leaders agree to continue dialogue under the UN Secretary-General’s auspices, focusing on the way forward and the opening of new crossing points to foster trust and facilitate movement across the island.

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Cyprus Industrial Sales Rise 3.7% To €4.77 Billion As Halloumi, Bakery And Pharma Lead Growth

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 24, 2026

Industrial Sales Extend Their Upward Trend

Sales of locally produced industrial goods in Cyprus increased by 3.7 per cent to €4.77 billion in the latest year, according to figures released by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). The result marks an additional €170.2 million in sales compared with €4.60 billion a year earlier, though the pace of growth slowed from the 7.3 per cent expansion recorded in 2023.

The latest data underline a broader pattern in Cyprus’ manufacturing base: a handful of high-value categories continue to anchor industrial performance, even as some sectors soften.

Halloumi Remains A Core Export And Sales Driver

Halloumi once again emerged as one of the strongest contributors. Local industrial units sold 46,100 tonnes of the cheese worth €364.1 million, compared with 41,900 tonnes valued at €338.1 million in the previous year.

That represents growth of roughly 10 per cent in volume and 7.7 per cent in value, adding about €26 million to annual sales. The figures reinforce halloumi’s role not only in domestic production, but also in Cyprus’ international trade profile. Earlier reporting showed exports reaching 42,427 tonnes worth €324 million, up from 39,078 tonnes valued at €315 million in 2023.

Bakery, Pastry And Pharmaceuticals Lead By Value

Fresh bakery and pastry products recorded the highest sales value among the main categories at €373.8 million, up from €351.4 million a year earlier, reflecting growth of around 6.4 per cent.

Pharmaceutical products and preparations followed closely at €363.3 million, rising by about 3.4 per cent from €351.4 million in 2023. Pharmaceuticals also remain a key export category for Cyprus. Earlier trade data reported exports worth €348 million, equal to 14.4 per cent of the country’s manufactured exports.

Together, bakery and pastry products, halloumi and pharmaceuticals generated more than €1.1 billion in sales, highlighting the concentration of industrial strength in a small number of sectors.

Beverages And Packaged Foods Post Broad Gains

Several food and drink categories also recorded solid gains. Fresh fruit juice sales rose to 75,000 tonnes worth €54 million, from 71,100 tonnes and €49 million a year earlier. That translates into growth of around 5.5 per cent in volume and 10.2 per cent in value.

Beer sales climbed to 43.1 million litres worth €57 million, compared with 42.3 million litres valued at €53.8 million. Soft drink sales increased to 14.7 million litres worth €23.5 million, up from 13.5 million litres and €20.5 million the previous year.

Bottled mineral water was among the stronger performers. Sales reached 216.9 million litres worth €46.7 million, compared with 190.7 million litres valued at €39.9 million. That represents an increase of almost 14 per cent in volume and 17 per cent in value.

Prepared meat products also edged higher, reaching €51.4 million from €50.4 million a year earlier.

Not Every Category Followed The Same Trajectory

Despite the broad improvement, several segments weakened. Sales of pasteurised milk and fresh cream declined to 57.8 million litres worth €82.7 million, down from 60.7 million litres and €85.9 million in the previous year.

Wine posted a steeper drop, with sales falling to 10.4 million litres worth €35.7 million, compared with 11.9 million litres valued at €39.5 million. That amounts to a decline of about 12.6 per cent in volume and 9.6 per cent in value.

Chemical products also slipped, with sales down to €80.6 million from €84 million, a decrease of around 4 per cent.

Construction Materials Show Mixed Results

Construction-related products moved in opposite directions. Sales of cement and clinker fell by almost €20 million to €138.3 million, from €158.2 million a year earlier, reflecting a decline of around 12.6 per cent.

By contrast, ready-mixed concrete sales increased to €257.6 million from €247.7 million, a gain of about 4 per cent.

A Narrow Set Of Sectors Continues To Carry The Market

The Cystat data show a manufacturing sector that remains resilient, but increasingly dependent on a limited number of high-performing categories. Halloumi, bakery products and pharmaceuticals continue to dominate the sales picture, while beverages, dairy and construction inputs are moving in more uneven fashion.

Cystat said the figures cover commodities produced by industrial units in Cyprus, with sales reported in both quantity, where available, and value terms.