Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades received on Thursday the credentials of new Ambassadors and High Commissioners expressing his deep gratitude for their firm support on the Cyprus issue and reiterating his will to work for a solution. He also expressed his determination to work for further enhancement of bilateral ties.
President Anastasiades, received the credentials of the new Ambassador of Morocco Mohammed Sbihi, the new Ambassador of Algeria,Abdelkrim Rekaibi, the new Ambassador of Philippines Giovanni E. Palec, the new Ambassador of Mauritania Ely Salem Zeineb, the new Ambassador of Iceland Hannes Heimisson, the new Ambassador of Angola, Maria De Fatima Monteiro Jardim, the new Ambassador of Albania, Luela Hajdaraga, the new High Commissioner of Sierra Leone,Morie Komba Manyeh, the new High Commissioner of Barbados, Milton Arthur Inniss, the new High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Major General Md Jahangir Al Mustahidur Rahman, during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace.
The President noted that further deepening of the cooperation in a number of important fields of shared interest, as well as merging our voices as partners in efforts to address the plethora of pressing challenges we are currently faced with, remains a priority of Cyprus’ foreign policy.
He underlined that in these challenging times, particularly following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, international cooperation and multilateral cooperation are essential elements in promoting the ideals and values of peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law.
“Our countries share the same vision of maintaining peace and security, in support of multilateralism and a rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core. To this end, Cyprus attaches great importance to our joint commitment to democratic values and norms, the protection of human rights and respect of every state’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, which form the main pillars upon which we aim to continue building our relations,” he said.
He said that Cyprus, in full respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine, has condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s military aggression. He noted that it is Cyprus’ firm belief that democracy and diplomacy must always be defended and protected, and is the only way forward to ensure that dialogue prevails so as to achieve an immediate ceasefire.
As regards the need to accelerate Europe’s energy independence he said that the discovery of hydrocarbons in the Republic of Cyprus and our immediate region can serve as an important tool of cooperation and synergies in the area, as well as substantially contributing to the Union’s energy security and the diversification of energy sources for Europe.
The President spoke of the need for a solution of the Cyprus issue and referred to his initiative to submit a package proposal of game-changing Confidence Building Measures aimed to enhancing the existing cooperation between the two communities on the island and overcome mistrust, contributing also to creating favourable conditions for a dialogue to take place in good faith.
“The Confidence Building Measures are taking into consideration the interest of both communities, so it is a win-win proposal and I do believe that it will help a lot to restore trust and to prepare as well a conducive climate for the resumption of the negotiations,” he said.
He said that his proposal also includes an invitation to Turkey to negotiate and conclude an agreement for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone/ continental shelf between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, always in accordance with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“It is also my strong belief that we should negotiate within what is feasible and realistic and not what is desirable, but impossible to achieve. And I am talking, of course, about new ideas presented, such as the two-state solution or the “sovereign equality”, which do not only deviate from the UN resolutions and parameters and the mandate of the Secretary-General, but also fall to the latter category of aspiring to achieve the impossible,” he underlined.
He noted that it remains extremely important for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side to show a similar degree of commitment and stop undermining any efforts towards resuming the bi-communal talks either through illegal plans and actions in the fenced-area of Varosha and our Exclusive Economic Zones or by advocating divisive or non-functional solutions.
Receiving the credentials of Ambassador of Iceland the President said that Cyprus and Iceland are two small island states on the opposite sides of the European continent. He noted that despite this geographical distance, the two countries share a long history of friendly relations, closely cooperating through our participation in the European Economic Area and other regional and international organizations.
“Ambassador Heimisson, emphasis can now be placed to set in motion ways to safeguard our interests and unlock the true potential of our future relations, especially in the areas of trade and tourism, through the establishment of political consultations” , he said.
As regards the cooperation with Algeria he said that the expansion of the spectrum of the bilateral and multilateral engagement with Algeria, emanating from our common past within the Non-Aligned Movement provides a solid basis in that regard. He noted that Cyprus remains a strong advocate of the EU-Algeria relationship and will continue striving for its strengthening so as to yield tangible results for our people and the Mediterranean region.
“The future of the said geographical context is not just crucial for our two countries, but as we all know it carries significant political weight and affects the broader balances in the adjoining regions”, he said.
On Sierra Leone, he expressed his confidence that the collaboration between the two countries will be further developed and expand in the years to come, both in the bilateral and the multilateral context, especially within the Commonwealth family in which both Cyprus and Sierra Leone have been participating since their independence back in the 1960s.
Moreover, he noted, an enhanced cooperation between the European Union and Sierra Leone, as well as the EU and the African Union should be a priority, as a prosperous and peaceful Africa is an essential objective of both our continents.
Receiving the credentials of the Ambassador of Philippines, the President said that Cyprus and the Philippines enjoy close and friendly ties based on traditional bonds of friendship adding that since the establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1980, the cooperation has been growing at a fast pace over in recent years.
“The large and active Philippino community in Cyprus forms a dynamic link between our two countries and contributes to the enrichment of the cultural fabric of the Cypriot society. Moreover, Cyprus remains a strong supporter for the advancement of the EU-Philippines relations in the political, social and economic sphere, based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force on March 2018,” he said.
As regards Albania, President Anastasiades said that he truly believes that both countries share the same aim of enhancing and expanding our dialogue and cooperation both bilaterally and in international fora. He added that Cyprus has been clearly supporting the Western Balkan’s European perspective for years and reiterated Cyprus’ continuous support to Albania’s path to the EU adding tha he is looking forward to the swift opening of the accession negotiations.
He spoke of the friendly ties with Barbados which rest on common principles and values, both bilaterally and within the framework of international fora, particularly the United Nations and the Commonwealth, which adds additional impetus to the joint efforts, to promote mutually beneficial goals.
With Mauritania, as two states situated in the wider Mediterranean region, the President said that Cyprus aims to further strengthen the cooperation between the European Union and the African Union, but also in the multilateral domain of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Despite the lack of geographical proximity, Cyprus and Bangladesh share parallel historical journeys and common struggles for freedom and independence. He said that Bangladesh is considered a valuable and important partner for the European Union and over the years, the EU-Bangladesh relations have been steadily developing in a wide range of fields.
Furthermore Cyprus President said that the existing solid foundation of friendship between Cyprus and the Kingdom of Morocco remains the driving force in guiding the relationship to new levels of excellence. He said that Cyprus also strives for the advancement of Morocco’s partnership with the EU.
“Such a development will certainly benefit our joint Mediterranean region that is affected by the current geopolitical tectonic shifts. Having said that, we remain positive that new fields of cooperation will emerge from this effort, benefiting first and foremost our countries and the EU as a whole”, he said.
With Angola the President said that Cyprus shares the common political will to further broaden the bilateral relations and cooperation. “Working also together in the multilateral fora, and more particularly within the context of the EU-Angola and the EU-African Union, our cooperation can serve as the platform for our relations to flourish in the years ahead” he said.
Source: Anadolu Agency