President Nikos Christodoulides signed memoranda with Kazakhstan on Wednesday and is due to inaugurate Cyprus’s resident embassy in Astana later the same day, on the first-ever official visit by a Cypriot president to the Central Asian country.
Cyprus and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and agreed to open resident embassies in Astana and Nicosia in 2025.
The memoranda signed during the visit cover higher education, scientific research, culture, sports, innovation, digital governance and information technologies, Christodoulides said at a press conference following his meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Christodoulides also attended the Cyprus-Kazakhstan Business Forum, which he said aimed to strengthen business ties and create new opportunities for cooperation. He said both sides discussed prospects for enhanced cooperation in financial services, shipping, ICT, FinTech, logistics and renewable energy, as well as closer engagement with the Astana International Financial Centre.
Christodoulides said he briefed Tokayev on the latest developments regarding the Cyprus issue and reiterated Cyprus’s readiness to resume negotiations for a comprehensive settlement based on the UN framework and relevant Security Council resolutions. He expressed appreciation for Kazakhstan’s “principled position on the Cyprus issue” and its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.
Both presidents reaffirmed cooperation within the United Nations and other international organisations, with Christodoulides saying both countries believe international relations must be guided by full respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the independence of states.
Christodoulides added that Cyprus, in the context of its current Presidency of the Council of the EU, strongly supports the further strengthening of the EU-Kazakhstan strategic partnership.
He also noted that his delegation had arrived in Astana on the inaugural direct flight from Larnaca, saying the launch of direct air links between Larnaca, Astana and Almaty would open new avenues for tourism, trade and broader business cooperation.
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