A meeting held on Thursday in Athens between Cypriot Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, and Greek Minister of Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis, focused on issues of strategic cooperation aimed at addressing the important environmental challenges and strengthening the common goals of Cyprus and Greece in sustainable development.

The meeting took place in the context of an official visit the Cypriot Minister is paying Athens.

The Ministry of Agriculture said in a press release that one of the key points of the discussion was the development of appropriate cooperation for the effective implementation of policies and measures included in the National Energy and Climate Plans to achieve the goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

At the same time, as Cyprus prepares to assume the Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2026, Ministers Skylakakis and Panayiotou discussed the possibilities of cooperation and technocratic support from Greece in critical environmental issues.

"This cooperation, said Panayiotou, is expected to contribute substantially to Cyprus' efforts in areas such as the protection of biodiversity, climate change and participation in international environmental agreements," the press release added.

"Furthermore, recognising the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, Ministers explored the possibility of establishing voluntary carbon markets," it said. This initiative, as noted during the meeting, aims to promote carbon absorption projects, supporting efforts to offset residual emissions.

The two Ministers noted the importance of developing transparent methodologies and reliable national registries to achieve measurable results in carbon reduction.

During the meeting, the two Ministers confirmed their common will to further strengthen their cooperation in the Mediterranean region, undertaking joint initiatives to effectively deal with modern environmental challenges, the press release added. The need for synergies and cooperation in the field of rational water management leveraging technology, as well as water resilience in the context of the expected European Strategy, was particularly emphasised.

Panayiotou has a working dinner with the Minister of Rural Development and Food of Greece, Costas Tsiaras on Thursday evening, while on Friday morning the two Ministers will have a meeting with officials on matters of common interest. Immediately afterwards, they will make statements to the media.