President Christodoulides meets King Abdullah II in New York amid Cyprus talks

President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides met with King Abdullah II of Jordan in New York on September 21, 2026, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The leaders discussed regional developments in the Middle East, with an emphasis on de-escalation and stability, while reinforcing bilateral ties. President Christodoulides expressed gratitude for Jordan's contribution of firefighting aircraft and personnel to Cyprus, highlighting a joint regional initiative. The discussions also explored potential connectivity projects involving Cyprus, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

Regarding the Cyprus issue, President Christodoulides stated that intensive, non-public diplomatic efforts are underway in New York. He expressed optimism about achieving positive developments, specifically aiming to restart negotiations from the point where they stalled in Crans-Montana through an expanded conference. The President emphasized his support for the United Nations Secretary-General's initiatives to break the current deadlock. Future steps include an upcoming meeting between the President and Maria Angela Holguin to review convergences, which is considered a critical test for the negotiation process.

Furthermore, the President underscored the strategic and comprehensive partnership between the EU and Jordan established in 2025, which Cyprus actively supports. He intends to leverage Cyprus's recent presidency of the EU Council to continue promoting regional security and cooperation.