Israeli President Herzog arrives in Nicosia for talks with Christodoulides

Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Nicosia on 10 September for a working visit. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides received him at the Presidential Palace. Herzog arrived at the palace at around 11:30 and, before the talks began, told journalists that he had brought a “message of friendship” to the island.

The leaders began with a one-on-one meeting and then continued their talks over a working lunch. The agenda includes tourism, trade, security, energy and defence, as well as developments in the region.

Christodoulides highlighted the record flow of Israeli tourists: more than 200 flights a week are currently operating between the two countries, compared with an annual average of around 140.

“I love your country. I fell in love with it as a child, and it is always wonderful to come here,” Herzog said. He described the Cypriot president as a close partner and added that he dreams of a three-way meeting with the presidents of Cyprus and Lebanon.

The Cyprus Police stepped up security measures during the visit: from 9:00 to 16:00, traffic restrictions were in place in Larnaca, on the Larnaca–Nicosia highway and in the Nicosia area.

The visit is accompanied by protests. The All-Cyprus Peace Council, together with AKEL, has scheduled a demonstration outside the Presidential Palace at 18:30 against Israel’s military actions in the region. The presidents’ previous meeting took place in December 2025, when Christodoulides visited Israel.