Nikos Christodoulides (Greek: Νίκος Χριστοδουλίδης; born 6 December 1973) is a Cypriot politician, diplomat, and academic who has served as the 8th President of Cyprus since 2023.

He then served in the second Anastasiades government until resigning in January 2022 in order to run in the presidential election, where he defeated Andreas Mavroyiannis in the run-off and assumed office on 28 February 2023.

He graduated from the Lyceum A' of Ethnarch Makarios III, Paphos in 1991,[2] and completed his compulsory two-year military service in the Cypriot National Guard in 1993.

After meeting Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias on 7 May 2018, he praised United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for despatching a UN Special Representative to sound out the atmosphere for resuming talks.

[8] In June 2018, Christodoulides welcomed an announcement by ExxonMobil executives to speed up their schedule to begin drilling operations in Block 10 of the Exclusive Economic Zone.

[10] On 15 July 2020, Christodoulides commented on the 2020 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes, condemning the "ceasefire violation by Azerbaijan" and calling for "restraint of the parties to de-escalate the tension in the region".

[12] After months of speculation on whether he would run for president in the 2023 election, Christodoulides expressed his interest at a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 9 January.

[14] In June 2022, Christodoulides formally announced his candidacy as an independent candidate despite being a member of the Democratic Rally, which fielded Averof Neofytou as its presidential nominee.

[17] After winning the second round with 51.92% of the vote (against the 48.08% of fellow independent candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis, who was backed by the Progressive Party of Working People) Christodoulides was declared the winner and became president-elect.

Due to the small distance between Cyprus and the conflict zone, Christodoulides suggested utilizing Larnaca's port for shipping significant amounts of humanitarian relief to Gaza by sea.

[23][24] Christodoulides visited Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and King Abdullah of Jordan to inform them about his proposed humanitarian corridor, while also discussing it with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz over the phone.

[27] The first step was completed on 1 January 2024, when Cyprus and the United Kingdom collaborated to successfully send 87 tonnes of aid to Gaza through Port Said in Egypt.

[36][32][37][38][39] On 12 March 2024, the Spanish NGO's salvage vessel Open Arms departed from the port of Larnaca to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.

[40] The ship towed a barge loaded with supplies provided by the American charity World Central Kitchen and funded by the United Arab Emirates.

[56][57] During Christodoulides' first year in office, Cyprus saw a substantial increase in the deportation of illegal migrants and a 50% decrease in new arrivals, earning praise from European officials.

This comprehensive plan encompasses diverse initiatives, including the integration of artificial intelligence, the promotion of ultra-high-speed network connectivity, the intensification of digital skills through education, support for research and innovation, encouragement of start-up entrepreneurship, and the reinforcement of defense mechanisms against cyber threats.

The transformation aims to enhance efficiency in services, automate processes, increase governance transparency, and stimulate innovation, ultimately fostering economic development and job creation.

[61] In his role as Christodoulides' Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Philippos Hadjizacharias highlighted the government's goal of turning Cyprus into a leading technology hub.

[62] Cyprus and the United States have initiated a strategic dialogue during Christodoulides' presidency, significantly deepening the two countries' relations in areas such as security, energy, and investment.