President Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday arrived in Cyprus for an official visit where he held talks with the country’s President, Nikos Christodoulides.
He was received at Larnaca International Airport by Mr Christodoulides, along with several senior officials, state news agency Wam reported.
He was accompanied by Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon, Adviser to the President, as well as several ministers and senior UAE officials.
He later arrived at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, where he was accorded an official reception ceremony in which the national anthems of the UAE and Cyprus were played. During the ceremony, Sheikh Mohamed also laid a wreath at the memorial to Makarios III, the founding president of Cyprus.
The two men discussed aspects of co-operation and joint work between the countries and opportunities to enhance them, especially in the economic and developmental fields.
The meeting also touched on Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026, as well as regional and international issues.
In October, Sheikh Mohamed held a phone call with Mr Christodoulides to discuss bilateral co-operation.
They welcomed the ceasefire agreement in Gaza at the time, while emphasising the need to build on the agreement as a step towards achieving a lasting peace based on the two-state solution.
Landmark visit
The UAE and Cyprus issued a joint statement on Sunday evening to mark Sheikh Mohamed’s visit, which was the first made to the island nation by an Emirati President.
The two leaders agreed to develop a joint action plan to advance bilateral co-operation and support the implementation of new projects.
“To advance this co-operation, the two Presidents warmly welcomed the high-level official business delegation from the UAE, as well as the Cyprus-UAE Business roundtable, promoting strategic trade and investment opportunities,” state news agency Wam reported.
The statement highlighted the commitment of both nations to explore public and private sector investment opportunities, including in renewable energy, defence, large-scale infrastructure projects and maritime co-operation.
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