Cyprus President "Christodoulides" thanks France for ‘concrete support’ in path to Schengen
President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus aims to join the Schengen area in 2026 and thanked France for its “concrete support” toward this goal. A joint letter of intent will be signed by the foreign ministers of Cyprus and France to help advance the process. Christodoulides said Cyprus is working to complete all technical requirements by the end
of 2025. Cyprus is currently one of only two EU member states outside Schengen, alongside Ireland, following Bulgaria and Romania’s accession this year. A key challenge for Cyprus is strengthening border controls, particularly along the Green Line, which, while not a formal external EU border, must meet strict EU frontier standards.