Cyprus foreign minister outlines expanded diplomatic outreach

Cyprus Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kompou told the Cyprus Times that the island is redefining its foreign‑policy strategy. He said Cyprus will not seek permission from third parties for its sovereignty and aims to restart substantive negotiations on the Cyprus issue within the UN Security Council framework, including a new informal 5+1 meeting.

Kompou highlighted a broader diplomatic opening toward central Asian states, India and Saudi Arabia, while strengthening defence ties with France through a recent SOFA agreement that will host French forces for humanitarian and strategic purposes. He underscored the European Union’s role as the key negotiating lever with Turkey, noting that Turkey’s alignment with EU foreign‑policy measures is limited to about 4 % and that EU benefits are the only incentive for Turkey to support a solution.

The minister also stressed continued coordination with Greece and France to counter what he described as Turkish expansionism in the Eastern Mediterranean, positioning Cyprus as an active player in regional security and diplomatic arenas.