President Christodoulides attends COP31 climate summit in Antalya

President Nikos Christodoulides represented the Republic of Cyprus at the UN COP31 climate summit held on November 11, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey. During the event, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left the reception line just before Christodoulides arrived, leaving UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to greet the Cypriot leader alone. Diplomatic sources described this departure as a sign of contempt for the United Nations, while Turkish press noted that the Cypriot president was the only leader not welcomed by Erdogan.

During the summit, Christodoulides delivered a speech urging global leaders to move beyond declarations and focus on implementing concrete climate measures, such as accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels, tripling renewable energy capacity, and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. He emphasized that the climate crisis knows no borders and demands collective responsibility. The President also held side meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Emir of Qatar, and the Chinese Environment Minister.

Following the summit, it was reported that Guterres plans to set dates for a trilateral meeting concerning the Cyprus problem after his return from the Philippines, with negotiations expected to resume within the UN Secretary-General's current term.