“Cyprus can join the Schengen zone already this year. Cyprus plans to complete all technical issues for joining the Schengen zone by the end of 2025. The country’s president announced the expected benefits for tourism and investment, but experts warn of possible complications due to the divided status of the island.”, — write on: unn.ua
Details
According to the publication, the statement on joining the Schengen zone was made by the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, on Friday, January 10, at a conference in Nicosia.
During his speech, Nikos Christodoulidis emphasized that the Schengen area membership will bring benefits to Cyprus, especially in the field of tourism and investment. According to him, a special group in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs oversees this issue.
We have addressed all political concerns regarding the ceasefire line and are currently finalizing the technical details required for accession
He also said that the Republic is in the final stages of canceling US visa requirements for Cypriot travelers. A US delegation is expected to visit Cyprus shortly on the matter, with announcements to follow.
Cyprus has been a member state of the European Union since 2004. And although its inhabitants enjoy freedom of movement on the territory of the bloc of 27 countries, the island itself in the eastern Mediterranean is not yet part of the Schengen zone, which includes countries that are not part of the EU
This shift would require passports to be checked at checkpoints, changing their status and potentially increasing tensions. EU officials have warned that full Schengen membership would require changes to the Green Line Regulation, which governs movement across the divided island.
Cyprus is a unique case as the island has been divided since 1974 between the Republic of Cyprus in the south and the Turkish-occupied north
Experts warn that if Cyprus joins Schengen without resolving the issue, the Green Line, which is currently a buffer zone, will become the EU’s hard external border.
We will remind
From January 1, 2025, Romania and Bulgaria officially became part of the Schengen area. Passport checks at land borders have been abolished, which simplifies movement between EU countries.