President Nikos Christodoulides expressed optimism about progress on the Cyprus issue, emphasizing ongoing close contact with senior EU officials during the NATO summit in Turkey. He rejected claims of a pressing deadline for a settlement, stating that while substantive developments would be welcome soon, the priority remains focused on core negotiations rather than confidence-building measures.

Christodoulides highlighted that the current diplomatic momentum results from his initiatives and increased EU engagement, particularly through discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. He noted an upcoming dinner involving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and EU leaders would be crucial, stressing that progress depends on Turkey's stance.

Regarding the latest United Nations report mentioning incidents involving Greek Cypriots and UN peacekeepers, Christodoulides said such reports aim to maintain balance but the key takeaway is the renewed momentum in negotiations. He reiterated the goal of restarting formal talks on the Cyprus problem, with support from the UN secretary-general’s envoy to address core issues leading to a settlement.