Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has expressed gratitude for Greece’s long-standing cooperation and support in meetings he had on Wednesday morning in Athens with Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
On his part Mitsotakis spoke of the way Anastasiades handled the financial crisis and of his efforts to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem which were not successful. During a meeting earlier with the Cypriot President Sakellaropoulou also referred to the Cyprus problem, stressing that it remains a top priority of Greek foreign policy.
In statements during his meeting with Mitsotakis, President Anastasiades said that “through close cooperation, we were able to tackle – and I believe we have tackled – several risks from Turkish revisionism and through diplomacy, the good neighborhood we have built through trilateral, quadrilateral, and multi-party alliances, we have protected the Republic of Cyprus enough to be able to be in a powerful position to negotiate a solution that is functional and sustainable, but also in line with European acquis”.
This, he added, will secure not only Greek Cypriots but also Turkish Cypriots, contributing to peace and the well-being of all the people of Cyprus.
Another reason for his presence in Greece today, he added, was to show solidarity to the Greek people with laying the foundation stone for housing projects to be built in Mati, Attica, funded by contributions from the Republic of Cyprus and Cypriot citizens following the devastating fires in the area.
The President said “I repeat, this is a simple gesture, because Greece’s solidarity with Cyprus was manifold in the same way, either with sacrifices, with blood, or with material actions that supported the Republic of Cyprus. And having said that, I want to add one thing: I will continue to be a Greek who worries about the fate of our Cyprus, for the fate of our Greece. I will be present not in power, but in whatever struggles we are called upon to undertake.”
On his part, the Greek Prime Minister said it was a moving moment as it is the last time, he is welcoming Anastasiades to Maximos Palace as President of the Republic of Cyprus.
He thanked Anastasiades for his services to Cyprus, noting he undertook office during the financial crisis, something that Greece underwent too. “You have managed not only to lift up the economy but to move Cyprus to different levels, therefore I believe you have every reason to be proud of this,” he added.
Mitsotakis further said that unfortunately the Cyprus problem was not resolved during Anastasiades’ tenure as President. He expressed the conviction that a viable, just and functional solution will remain in Anastasiades’ heart, a cause which he worked throughout his career for.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
After the meeting, and in the presence of President Anastasiades and the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Education of the two countries Niki Kerameos and Prodromos Prodromou signed an agreement on the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications.
President Anastasiades was also received by his Greek counterpart, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
She said “our common mobilization is a determined intervention in EU institutions to avert Turkish plans to promote the illegal regime in the Turkish occupied north.”
She assured that the Cyprus problem remains a top concern for Greek foreign policy.
Anastasiades expressed gratitude for Greece’s longstanding support, noting that through the excellent and close diplomatic efforts both countries made “we have managed to secure UN decisions that work to protect the Republic of Cyprus”.
He underlined that Cypriot Hellenism survived due to the Greek support during critical times, both during the invasion and after.
At the same time, he added, “our common efforts within the EU create another dimension: the initiatives that the EU must take so that any solution, beyond being functional and sustainable, is fully in line with the European acquis:”.
Regarding Cyprus’ contribution at Mati, Anastasiades said it is the least that Cyprus can do to show its gratitude to the Greek people by laying the foundation stone for social housing and a park at the fire-torn area of Mati.
President Anastasiades said he acknowledges that lives lost cannot be replaced, however, the 10 million euros from private contributions is a way to contribute to the efforts of the Greek government to alleviate the pain caused by the disaster.
“From March 1, I will be a simple private citizen, however I will not stop being a Greek activist for peace, justice, and social solidarity,” he concluded.
On her part, Sakellaropoulou thanked Anastasiades for the cooperation the two had.
She confirmed that the close cooperation between Greece and Cyprus aims and continues to aim at achieving an agreed solution within the framework of UN Security Council decisions. “Turkish intransigence and provocative behavior will not deter us from supporting the UN Secretary General’s efforts to find a common ground for resuming negotiations,” she said.
The President of the Hellenic Republic emphasised that the joint mobilization of Greece and Cyprus leads to the consistent intervention of EU institutions to prevent Turkish actions and expose the false claims of Turkey.
She affirmed once again that Cyprus is a continuous and top priority for Greek foreign policy.
Source: Cyprus News Agency