Relations between Germany and the Republic of Cyprus have traditionally been close and characterised by mutual trust. Federal President Steinmeier was received by President Christodoulides for a state visit from February 11 to 13, 2024.

As part of bilateral cultural cooperation, the Goethe-Institut – based in the UN-controlled buffer zone – facilitates meetings between members of the two communities in Cyprus on neutral ground. The Federal Foreign Office is involved in financing a project for confidence-building and reconciliation work called Imagine. Since 2017, this project has brought together over 700 teachers and 6100 pupils from the two communities. In May 2021, Imagine won the GENE Global Education Award 2020/2021, which is presented annually to education-related initiatives.

According to provisional figures for 2023, German exports to Cyprus were worth 797.7 million euro, while imports from Cyprus to Germany totalled 125.7 million euro. Within the EU, Cyprus is one of the most important shipping centres and has the second-largest open register of ships; it also has the world’s ninth-largest fleet by tonnage. In the field of ship management, German or German-led companies have a market share of around 50%. Since Limassol port was privatised in 2016, its container terminal has been managed by a German company (Eurogate).

The first bilateral cooperation plan in the field of security and defence policy was agreed in May 2022. In November 2023, the two countries’ defence ministers signed a joint declaration of intent to intensify their cooperation.

The Federal Republic of Germany does not maintain official relations with the so-called “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (recognised only by Turkey) but does have wide-ranging contact with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community.