Larnaca residents protest port development delays

Larnaca residents gathered outside the city’s port on Wednesday evening in a protest organised by the municipality, calling for progress on the protracted redevelopment of the marina.

The protest began at 6pm, with participants demanding clarity on timelines and the inclusion of land development in any final plan.

The protest comes two years after the termination of the previous concession agreement for the project and amid continued disagreement over its scope.

Mayor Andreas Vyras said the city was seeking a full and integrated proposal. “We cannot accept plans that do not include the land areas,” he said, adding that decisions taken without the city’s involvement would be “a risk and even dangerous”.

He said Larnaca is requesting “a specific and comprehensive proposal that also includes the development of the land area, with costs and timetables”.

He added that the municipality has already communicated its position to the transport ministry and reiterated that the current approach does not meet local expectations regarding integrated development.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades attributed the protest to what he described as pre-election machinations, referring to prior discussions with local authorities on the project’s implementation.

He said he had agreed with the mayor that “the matter would follow a specific implementation path” and that study results relating to land development were expected to be presented by the end of the month.

“Mr Vyras decided on a different course,” he said, adding that the government would continue work on the basis of the agreed framework.

Vafeades said the marina project should not be delayed while studies are completed, stating that “no one doubts that the marina project can proceed today”.

He asked, “Why wait all this time and wait another two or three months for the marina?”

He added that responsibility for any delay in studies lies with the ministry and said, “I apologise to Larnaca, but that does not mean that we have the right to delay this work any longer”.

The dispute relates to differing positions on whether port, marina and land development should proceed as a single integrated project or in stages.

Local authorities maintain that land development must be included from the outset, while the ministry has indicated that certain components can begin before all studies are finalised.

The redevelopment project has been under review since the termination of the previous €1.2 billion concession agreement in 2024, after disagreements over financial terms.