Media Statements
August 6, 2025 - Expert Opinion: George Kremlis
See the summary of our meeting George Kremlis, a lawyer, political advisor, economist, and expert opinion on climate and geopolitics in the Cyprus region.
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Earlier this month, CyprAm was fortunate to virtually host George Kremlis for a discussion on Cyprus and the intra-NATO, intra-EU relationships affecting it. George is a prominent figure in Greek and European international organizations and recently served as the Principal Advisor to the Greek Prime Minister on energy, climate, environment and circular economy issues, as well as Honorary Director of the European Commission.
Always an advocate for the EU, George expressed the desire to see it exert greater geopolitical influence globally. Together, we shared optimism for the development of EU defense programs, and regret at the under-involvement of Cyprus in Türkiye’s recent inclusion into the EU’s defense-cooperation framework.
Ahead of any future agreements, George expressed the desire to see the Cyprus Problem a larger role in how the EU negotiates, stressing the opportunity factor that détente would have for the Greece-Cyprus-Türkiye relationship. We agreed that the failure to do so not only exacerbates the barriers to peaceful resolution in Cyprus, but limits the full potential of security cooperation regionally.
On NATO, George suggested the inclusion of Cyprus as a favored nation, in order to improve its own defense and leverage greater responsibility within EU initiatives like ReArm Europe. Doing so, he argued, would help ensure future consideration of Cyprus in defense cooperation decisions.
Finally, we discussed with George the potential that redeveloping the U.K.’s Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus as NATO garrisons could provide as part of comprehensive plan to coalesce the defense interests of Cyprus, Türkiye, and other NATO countries in support of a broader solution to the Cyprus Problem.
June 30, 2025 - Our Thoughts: Christodoulides’ Vision
See President Nikos Christodoulides’ interview with Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart on their podcast The Rest is Politics: Leading.
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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.