Cyprus ‘will not be blackmailed’ over Larnaca marina

Cyprus “cannot be blackmailed by anyone” over the construction of the Larnaca marina and port, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday.

Questioned by journalists regarding the ongoing dispute between the government and developer Kition Ocean Holdings over the marina’s construction, he insisted that the government is “trying to find a solution”.

“We are here to face the challenges,” he said, adding that his government is working in this regard to “improve ordinary people’s everyday lives.”

He added that the government is in “constant contact” with Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras on the matter.

“We want this development to go ahead, and it will go ahead, and we are trying to find a solution,” he said.

Christodoulides’ statements come amid a deepening rift between the government and Kition regarding the marina and port’s construction.

The government and Kition are at loggerheads over a €10 million guarantee to be paid by Kition for the project.

Kition had agreed earlier in April following a meeting with Christodoulides to renew the guarantee they were required to pay, but differences in opinion persisted regarding payment.

The company has thus far deposited a total of €4.2m, leaving the rest outstanding.

Larnaca mayor Andreas Vyras had said earlier in April that the construction licence for the marina and port would be issued on April 26, but with that deadline having come and gone, it is unclear what the government’s next steps regarding the project will be.

Later, Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said that if the guarantee was not paid in its entirety by April 22, instructions would be sought from the legal service. This deadline has also come and gone.

Since then, relations between the government and Kition deteriorated further, with the developer expressing its “surprise and sadness” at the situation and accusing Vafeades of focusing on keeping up appearances rather than “ensuring the future of the project”.

Kition then failed to be present for a House transport committee meeting last week. They insisted that their absence from the meeting should not “be perceived as a sign of disrespect” and that the situation had been a “misunderstanding”.

They said they had only found out about their invitation to the meeting “after a relevant report was made in the media”.

“By that time, it was too late for anyone to attend in person. We tried to attend remotely, but this was not possible,” they said.

The following day, Vyras expressed his rage at Kition for taking the decision to impose new fees on boats which use the marina’s old dock.

“It is unacceptable and provocative. They are playing with our intelligence. The government must take strict measures to prevent this from happening,” he said.

The Cyprus Mail attempted to contact both Alexis Vafeades and Andreas Vyras for comment.