Over the course of an hour on Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart’s podcast, The Rest is Politics: Leading, President Christodoulides provided a comprehensive vision for the future of Cyprus as a regional leader.

We would like to pay particular attention his comments on Türkiye as they echo many of the same initiatives we at CyprAm seek to support. When asked about Türkiye’s role in the region, President Christodoulides avoided typical rhetorics, advocating instead for a pragmatic and technocratic approach to Türkiye-Cyprus diplomacy. Most notably, he expressed his desire to deepen Türkiye’s cooperation with the EU and, simultaneously, to redevelop the Nicosia-Ankara relationship toward future partnerships and trade.

Regarding intergovernmental politics, President Christodoulides remarked that the UN should move away from its post-WWII structure and aim for a more inclusive framework, to include a restructured Security Council. Furthermore, he criticized the EU’s disjointed global presence and advocated for a heightened role in ongoing economic and geopolitical affairs.

Overall, we commend President Christodoulides’ efforts to help reshape Cyprus as a cornerstone of EU-outreach, as well as regional cooperation. It is our belief that Cyprus must continue to replace self-importance with practical importance through manageable diplomatic goals. Finally, we share the President’s optimism toward regional recovery through gradual, cooperation-based means.