Newsroom
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides used his time at the UN General Assembly this week to juggle two weighty issues: the long-frozen Cyprus peace talks and the island’s growing role in global energy.
On Wednesday, Christodoulides hosted a private luncheon in Manhattan with the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the U.S., U.K., France, Russia and China. Around the table, they swapped views on global flashpoints from Ukraine to the Middle East, but the president made sure to press Cyprus’ case.
He briefed them on his earlier meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and flagged the high-stakes joint sit-down with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, set for Friday under UN auspices. Christodoulides stressed that the UN must play a “catalytic role” in pushing talks forward, while the ambassadors reiterated their support for a solution based on Security Council resolutions.
At the same time, Cyprus’ humanitarian role was highlighted, with ambassadors praising the “Amalthea” plan, under which Cyprus has been serving as a hub for aid deliveries to civilians in Gaza.
But diplomacy wasn’t the only thing on Christodoulides’ plate. The president also met ExxonMobil vice president John Ardill, who came bearing what he called “very good news.” Initial drilling results in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone suggest that the Pegasus and Glafkos gas fields together could hold between 8 and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, a potentially game-changing amount for a small island nation.
Christodoulides welcomed the findings, calling ExxonMobil’s presence in Cyprus “a vote of confidence” and pressing for faster steps toward extraction. “Our cooperation is excellent and always based on honesty,” he said, while government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis emphasized that the ultimate goal is not just exports but easing energy costs for Cypriots.
For now, ExxonMobil has promised to move quickly on next steps, with timetables to follow. The discovery adds to Cyprus’ leverage in a region where energy, security and diplomacy are increasingly intertwined, exactly the message Christodoulides seemed keen to deliver in New York.
