Cabinet ministers urged to adhere to code of conduct

President Nikos Christodoulides on Friday urged his ministers to adhere to a code of conduct and referred to the newly appointed Special Adviser on Ethics George Arestis for any questions.

Addressing his cabinet during an afternoon meeting, he called on his ministers “to be in constant contact with Arestis” for any matters related to the code of conduct which the council of ministers adopted in October.

The code is described as a roadmap of ethical guidelines in which every cabinet member must follow when making decisions and carrying out their duties.

It entails a system of constant monitoring and effective implementation, Christodoulides said. In the event of non-compliance, Arrestis’ contribution as an ethics advisor “will be essential.”

Anestis offers his services unpaid, and Christodoulides described him as “a person of renowned ethics, a distinguished lawyer, former judge of the Supreme Court and former judge at the Court of Justice of the EU.”

His appointment had been discussed with Greco (Group of States against Corruption), the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, which Christodoulides said had recommended the role.

“I am confident that he will contribute decisively to the promotion of the principles of good governance, on the basis of the code of conduct adopted by the Council of Ministers last October,” Christodoulides said.

Faithful adherence to the code of conduct should be a primary concern and personal obligation for every cabinet member, to demonstrate with actions rather than words, that Cyprus is a country which follows rule of law, he specified.