Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received today, at a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Shinichi Nakatsugawa.

Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Nakatsugawa said:

“Your Excellency,

It is a great honor and privilege for me to be received in audience today by Your Excellency and present my Letters of Credence as the first resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Cyprus as well as the Letters of Recall of my predecessor.

I have been instructed by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan to convey to Your Excellency his sincere hope that the friendly relations now happily existing between our two countries shall be further enhanced  in  the  years to come.

Excellency,

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge that Japan and the Republic of Cyprus have developed excellent relations through bilateral and international cooperation since the establishment of our diplomatic relations.

The opening of  the   Embassy  of Japan  in  Cyprus on January this year,            2018, is the symbolic representation of the  deepening mutual  relations  and it  shall be   the   base   of further enhancement and expansion of bilateral ties in various areas including politics, economy, trade, culture, education, science and technology. Active exchange of high level bilateral visits is also important for strengthening our existing friendly relations.

 The Embassy of Japan in Cyprus is planning to hold a commemorative reception to celebrate the opening of the Embassy this summer. The Embassy would like to have great pleasure of Your Excellency’s attendance to the reception.         

Excellency,

The negotiations on Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) came to settlement in December 2017 and Japan-EUStrategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) was agreed in February 2018 as well. Japan and Cyprus have favourable opportunities to enhance further economic relations by active use of these institutional frameworks.

As Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Cyprus, with Your Excellency's kind support, I would like to devote myself to further strengthening of our friendly relations and cooperation in international and multilateral fora.

Excellency,

I would also like to confirm the position of the Government of Japan regarding the Cyprus problem . My Government will continue its contributions to a peaceful and viable solution based on the related United Nations resolutions as a member of the G7 and the United Nations so that people of Cyprus may live in a secure environment.

Excellency,

Last but not least, I would like to convey to you and to all the people in the Republic of Cyprus, best wishes for peace and prosperity.”

Receiving the credentials, the President of the Republic said:

“Your Excellency,

I warmly accept your Letters of Credence as the first resident Ambassador of Japan to Cyprus. I wish to assure you that my Government will provide you with every assistance in performing your high duties aiming at the enhancement of the cooperation of Cyprus and Japan.

This day provides the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to join efforts and work towards the strengthening of our cooperation and coordination in bilateral and multilateral levels. In this framework, the opening of the Embassy of Japan in Lefkosia provides renewed impetus for the deepening of the relations between our two countries, and further solidifies our long friendship based on our common values of respect to international law, democracy and peaceful coexistence. With the physical presence of Japan in Cyprus, our cooperation will certainly continue to evolve in a number of fields, such as the financial sector, tourism trade and culture.

As an EU member, Cyprus will continue working towards enhancing Japan’s relations and cooperation with the European Union, while at the same time actively engage in encouraging opportunities in building cultural bridges and mutual understanding.

Your Excellency,

The current economic situation of Cyprus is one of renewed opportunity and good prospects. Cyprus has achieved a remarkable rebound. Over the last four years, Cyprus has been steadily edging out of recession and it now enjoys one of the highest growth rates in the EU, over 3% of GDP. Growth comes from all key productive sectors of the economy and confidence has been restored. The public finances are sound, and the banking sector is stable. We have also seen significant investment, both through private and government initiatives.

The primary objective of our economic policy is to see a continuation of the recovery and growth of the economy. The combination of fiscal discipline with real economic growth has been the hallmark of our economic policy. And, of course, we shall continue to pursue foreign direct investment and to promote further reforms.

Cyprus is currently offering excellent investment opportunities as a result of the determined and collective efforts of government and industry especially in the years following the financial crisis. Working together we have established a stable and safe pro-business environment. Stability, predictability and a pro-business economic environment is what investors need, and this is exactly what we have established.

Cyprus has emerged through the financial crisis stronger, smarter, safer and more stable. We are confident that Cyprus can be one of the fastest growing economies in the EU, on the condition that we remain firmly on a path of prudent economic policy and we avoid the mistakes of the past.

Your Excellency,

I take this opportunity to reiterate my appreciation for Japan’s principled stance to the solution of the Cyprus problem ending the Turkish occupation and the reunification of the country on the basis of the UN Security Council relevant resolutions and international law.

As I stated following my re-election as President of the Republic of Cyprus, the greatest challenge we face is the division of Cyprus caused by the illegal Turkish occupation of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

As regards the current state of play, following the failure of the Conference on Cyprus in Crans Montana in July 2017, due to Turkey’s insistence, in stark contrast to the framework presented by the UN Secretary-General during the said Conference, on its longstanding position to retain the right to unilaterally intervene in Cyprus through the continuation of the anachronistic system of guarantees and the permanent presence of Turkish troops, the negotiating process is at an impasse.

Regrettably, Turkey’s most recent illegal actions in our maritime zones amount to escalated provocations and to flagrant violation of our sovereign rights to explore and exploit our natural resources and do not create the necessary conditions for resuming negotiations.

What I would like to stress and what I have made clear to the UN Secretary-General and the international community, is that if Turkey’s illegal actions cease as well as the unacceptable positions and demands put forward by the  Turkish Cypriot side, I am ready to immediately engage in a new dialogue as regards the internal aspects of the Cyprus problem and also to take part in a new Conference on Cyprus, provided that the necessary preparation has taken place and that the five permanent members of the Security Council and the EU will assume an active role.

To this end, we warmly welcome the intention by the UN Secretary-General to appoint an envoy in order to explore the prospect of resuming the negotiating process.

Therefore, both Turkey and Mr Akinci are called to clarify their positions on whether or not they accept the framework presented by the UN Secretary-General in July 2017, in order not only to avoid misinterpretations or statements that aim to impress, but also for the UN Secretary-General to have a clear picture if the necessary conditions that will allow the resumption of the dialogue are in place.

To this end, I would like to underline in the clearest terms that we remain strongly committed to negotiate a solution within the parameters that the Secretary-General set, for a viable and comprehensive settlement, fully in line with international and EU law, that reunites Cyprus as modern, truly independent and sovereign state, free of any third country dependencies that will offer the prospect of prosperity and peaceful co-existence for all its citizens.

In concluding, the strong support of the Government of Japan to our continuous efforts to reach a just, viable and comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, in line with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, the EU law, values and principles, and the High Level Agreements between the leaders of the two communities and the Joint Declaration of February 11, 2014 and your contribution towards that aim would be highly appreciated.

Your Excellency,

In the execution of your High Duties you may count on the full support of both myself and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Please convey my best wishes to his Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito and the commitment on my behalf to our joint efforts for closer bilateral relations between our two countries.

Ambassador, Shinichi Nakatsugawa, I sincerely welcome you to Cyprus and wish you a productive tenure.”

(AH)