Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received the credentials of the Ambassador of Honduras stationed in Tel Aviv, Mr Mario Edgardo Castillo Mendoza, during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 6 February 2020.

Presenting his credentials, Mr Mendoza, speaking in English, said:

“It is with great pleasure and sincere feelings of friendship that I present today Letters of Credence, appointing me as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras to the Republic of Cyprus.

On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Honduras, and the President H.E. Juan Orlando Hernández, I am an envoy of his affectionate greeting and warm manifestations for the welfare of the people and Government of the Republic of Cyprus.

Honduras and Cyprus, are two Nations that live in democracy and have established diplomatic relations since February 7, 2005. The relation between our countries is based in our share of values and beliefs of justice and peace, our bilateral existing relation undoubtedly provide a foundation for further promotion of cooperation between our countries in areas such, tourism, commercial trade, education, agricultural, innovation, among others areas, as we are certainly that the prospects of further cooperation are truly great.

The Government of H.E. President Juan Orlando Hernandez has done many achievements during his administration by integrating forces and wills, both nationally and internationally, to address the challenges of this century like, climate change, poverty, insecurity, corruption terrorism, narcotraffic and organized crime; As sovereign and democratic nations, it is our goal to search for opportunities to unite us to strengthen and maintain coexistence by seeking solutions to our common problems and the promotion of economic development, social and cultural through cooperative and solidarity action.

It is of great importance for the Government of Honduras, the strengthening of political ties and friendship with the Republic of Cyprus, so we are giving a high priority to the establishment of a Mechanism for Bilateral Policy Consultation and Mutual Cooperation, which allows us to know better and on time, circumstances, needs and opportunities of mutual supportiveness between our Governments and to act in a coordinated and effective way that supports the achievement of our shared interests.

Honduras recognizes the Republic of Cyprus as a nation facing special challenges, arising from its history and its geographic position. And we have noted with interest the course of the events; which allows us to say that your country has made great efforts to solve the challenges that it has faced, since the beginning of its history as State. The Government of the Republic of Cyprus has contributed to building confidence, essential condition for parties to attend a productive negotiation that set courses of action that promote coexistence, security, respect for human rights, and enhance economic growth in harmony, for the benefit of all the inhabitants of Cyprus.

The Republic of Honduras as a member of the United Nations, supports your ongoing efforts under the auspices of the United Nation Secretary General’s Good Office’s Mission, for a just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem, based on the chapter of the United Nations and the relevant Security Council Resolutions. We are convinced that such a settlement will benefit both the people of Cyprus as a whole, as well as the wider region.

Your Excellency, Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, I sincerely wish you every success in your important duties and I reiterate to you the warmest greetings and a message of friendship of H.E. Juan Orlando Hernández, President of the Republic of Honduras. I express my great respect for the honour of meeting you and represent my country to Your Excellency and the people of the Republic of Cyprus”.

Receiving the credentials, the President said:

“Your Excellency,

It is with great pleasure that I receive today your Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Honduras to the Republic of Cyprus. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations for your appointment. I would like to wish you every success in the performance of your high duties and to assure you that my Government will provide you with every assistance you may need in the fulfilment of your noble mission.

My Government looks forward to working closely with you in building upon the friendly relations that exist between our two countries and peoples. Cyprus and Honduras share common principles and values, evident through our common membership in international fora, especially the United Nations. May I express on this occasion, my Government’s appreciation for the record of reciprocal support between Cyprus and Honduras in international organisations.

I also wish to express my readiness to work with you towards the further strengthening of our bilateral relations and to explore new areas of cooperation. Cyprus values its cordial relations with Honduras which it views also through the prism of EU-Central America relations and will continue to support the strengthening of this dialogue and cooperation.

As regards the economy, following the severe economic crisis of 2013, Cyprus has achieved a return to positive growth rates since 2015. For 2019, the growth rate is estimated at 3.2%, while medium-term macroeconomic forecasts project a robust growth of around 3% in the years to come.

Public finances have been set - and they continue to be - on a sustainable management path. In particular, for 2019 the budget surplus is expected to be at 3.8% as a percentage of GDP. The labour market is continuing to record steady progress, with an estimation of 7% unemployment for 2019, compared with 8.4% the previous year. The percentage decline in unemployment is among the largest in the EU and it is projected that by 2020 we will return to full employment conditions.

The banking system, re-focusing its operations and fully adhering to the strictest international transparency and compliance regulations, is now based on a stronger and healthier base in terms of capitalization, liquidity and profitability. Remarkable progress has also been achieved with respect to non-performing loans. The positive outlook of the Cypriot economy, as well as effective actions in the banking sector, have strengthened the confidence of investors and of International Credit Rating Agencies, reflected through a number of successive upgrades, currently classifying Cyprus at the investment grade.

Our commitment as a Government is to remain focused on maintaining and broadening the conditions under which surpluses and high growth rates can be generated, to continue promoting structural reforms and improving the country’s business environment.

Your Excellency,

I am aware of your particular interest as regards the latest developments on the Cyprus Problem and the prospect of resuming the negotiating process. Following the renewed active involvement of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a tripartite meeting was convened last November in Berlin between Mr Guterres, the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Akinci and myself. It was a productive meeting which our side considers as a positive step in our efforts to conclude the “Terms of Reference” and resume the peace process in the framework of the Good Offices Mission of the UN Secretary-General.

Such a development would allow us to hold an informal Conference on Cyprus in the format of the previous ones, which would give the opportunity to all stakeholders to discuss the modalities that should guide the possible resumption of meaningful and well-prepared negotiations.

Taking this opportunity, I wish to express my personal appreciation, as well as that of my Government and the people of the Republic of Cyprus, for the Republic of Honduras’ support and contribution towards our efforts to reach a viable and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Regrettably, Turkey continues to act as a “spoiler” by, amongst others, turning to military threats, illegal drilling activities within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus, threats to open the fenced-off city of Ammochostos and signing an illegal Memorandum of Understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea with Libya.

Actions which have been condemned in the strongest manner by the international community and the EU, since they do not comply with the notion of good neighbourly relations, international law and particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and infringe upon the sovereign rights of third States.

Actions which, apart from escalating tensions in our already turbulent region, have also a huge negative effect on our efforts to resume the peace process and do not create the necessary conditions for all parties to engage in a results-oriented dialogue.

We do hope that Turkey will finally adopt a more realistic and constructive approach by refraining from actions which do not create the necessary conditions of establishing an environment conducive to having productive negotiations on an equal footing. We also hope that Turkish stakeholders will finally acknowledge the overwhelming benefit of becoming part of our regional cooperation agenda and of positively working towards a viable solution to the Cyprus problem which would reunify Cyprus and its people and enhance regional stability.

Despite the challenges we face, I wish to assure you that I remain strongly committed in engaging in a new round of negotiations, once conditions permit it, with the aim to reach a lasting, viable and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue, in line with the European acquis, international law and the relevant UN Resolutions. A settlement that will safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, ensuring the peaceful and prosperous co-existence of all Cypriots, Greek and Turkish, without any third country dependencies, military troops and guarantees.

In welcoming you to Cyprus, I would kindly request you to convey to the President, His Excellency Mr Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado, my warmest greetings, and a message of sincere friendship and solidarity to the people of the Republic of Honduras".

(EK/SCH)