International reaction to Christodoulides' election

Reports on the results of the presidential election in Cyprus are dominated by what will happen the following day in Cyprus and the surrounding area. According to the foreign media, the main challenges that Cyprus's new President, Nicos Christodoulides, will face are the Cyprus problem, migration issues, and economic problems.

"After the second and final round of voting on Sunday, Nicos Christodoulides won the presidential election in Cyprus, promising a unity government that will take charge of breaking the deadlock in peace talks with isolated Turkish Cypriots," writes Voice of America about the presidential election result.

The American network claims that the problems facing the next president "range from the impasse in negotiations with Turkish Cypriots on the ethnically divided island and labor disputes amid runaway inflation to the fallout from corruption scandals and a surge in immigration that has left authorities dealing with thousands of asylum applications."

According to the Voice of America, "the division of Cyprus has dominated the election campaign for more than half a century." It briefly discusses the history of the Cyprus problem, writing that "Christodoulides has stated that he wishes to resume negotiations. The United Nations framework for the talks, which was adopted in 2017, should be renegotiated."

Another US network, ABC News reported the result of yesterday's election under the headline "Veteran diplomat Mavroyiannis concedes defeat to former Minister Christoulides in Cyprus presidential election".

ABC News focused on the presidential election results and the next day of voting in Cyprus and the wider region.

The Chinese news service "Xinhua" stated, "Christodoulides will take office on March 1 to succeed Nicos Anastasiades, who has already served two terms and cannot run for re-election under the law".   Christodoulides has worked as the president's diplomatic office director, government spokesman, and foreign minister under Anastasiades."

The newspaper continued, "Christodoulides invited DISY to join a 'unity government' he plans to put together, but the party declined the offer and said it would act as a 'responsible opposition'.

It goes on to say that the new Cypriot president "will face several pressing challenges, including restarting stalled reunification negotiations, stemming rising illegal immigration, and resolving labor disputes amid high inflation."

The English-language Chinese newspaper China Daily reprinted the Xinhua report.

The Indian news website "India Today" reported the final election results, emphasizing the new phase in the Cyprus negotiations.

British newspaper "The Guardian" covered the most recent results of the presidential election by pointing out that "the election, full of rare drama and suspense, also caused concern".  Christodoulides, who ran as an independent, received support from organizations that openly oppose talks aimed at uniting the Mediterranean island."

For many, his victory dashed hopes of a quick resolution to the long-standing conflict that has torn bitterly divided Cyprus, the EU's easternmost state.

"While Christodoulides is appealing to his supporters by saying he will renegotiate the basis on which the UN-brokered talks have so far been held, he is also aware that the Greek Cypriots must regain the trust of the international community if the peace process is to be revived," the article continues.

It also claims that outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades, who has been in power since 2013, was accused of obstructing a last-minute solution, and that Christodoulides "suggested during the election campaign that Cyprus could support Turkey's desire to upgrade its customs union with the EU, as well as visa liberalization for Turkish citizens entering the union, in exchange for Ankara agreeing to open a port for Cypriot-flagged ships."

The Arab press is also concerned about the outcome of the presidential election. In reporting the final result, the Al-Jazeera network focused on the political balances that allowed Nicos Christodoulides to rise to power.

The Turkish media also covered the presidential election results, recalling the duties of the new President of the Republic in previous administrations.