Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received today, during a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the letters of Credence of the new Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Sultan Ahmed Ghanem Al Suwaidi.

Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Al Suwaidi said:

“Your Excellency, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus,

I have the great pleasure to present to your Excellency my letters of Credence as Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic Of Cyprus. It also gives me great pleasure to convey the warmest greetings of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, to your Excellency. I would like to seize this opportunity to convey that His Highness the President desires that my mission be focused on developing the bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Cyprus.

Let me assure you Excellency that UAE firmly believes in the possibility of solving the Cyprus issue, on the basis of the principles of International law, relevant United Nations resolutions and respect for sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Cyprus. UAE spares no effort in every forum to express its solidarity with the Cypriot government in its quest for peaceful settlement of the dispute.”

Receiving the credentials, President Anastasiades said:

“Your Excellency,

It is with great pleasure and with feelings of sincere friendship that I receive the Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Cyprus. I wish to assure you that my Government will provide you with every possible assistance in the performance of your high duties.

It is with satisfaction that I note that in the last few years we have incrementally strengthened and expanded our bilateral cooperation in numerous fields, including the areas of security and defence. I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to underline my country’s readiness and willingness to take all necessary steps to maintain this very positive momentum to the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples.

We stand ready to deepen our economic, commercial and business relations with the UAE. Leading Emirati companies are investing in Cyprus and Cypriot companies are providing competitive and quality services and products in the UAE. The recent approval granted by the UAE Government for a direct flight route by a commercial carrier from Larnaca to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, is a positive development, which can hopefully contribute to the increase of tourist flows, facilitate reciprocal investments and ideally bring our peoples even closer.

Your Excellency,

The array of challenges facing the Middle East, such as terrorism and extremism; civil war and foreign intervention; is daunting. I wholeheartedly believe that Cyprus and the UAE not only share a genuine concern about the challenges that the broader Middle East region is faced with, but also recognize the imperative that they be addressed.

More importantly, we also share the belief that foreign policy can only be conducted in full respect of international law and of the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including commitment to good neighbourly relations, international peace and security, and respect for the sovereign rights, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of States.

Cyprus, as an EU member state, and the UAE, which plays an influential role in the conflict-ridden Middle East, in its capacity as a member state of the Gulf Cooperation Council, can work together towards promoting interregional dialogue and collaboration, in an effort to contribute to finding solutions to the many problems our wider region is faced with.

Your Excellency,

As I stated following my re-election as President of the Republic of Cyprus, the greatest challenge we face is the division and occupation of Cyprus. It is critical to end the unacceptable status quo in Cyprus caused by the illegal Turkish occupation of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, and to reunify our country. I would like to underline once again our unwavering commitment to reunifying Cyprus and its people, and our determination to exert every effort to reach a comprehensive settlement.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to reiterate our deep appreciation for the strong support of the Government of the United Arab Emirates to our continuous efforts to reach a just, viable and comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, in line with the relevant UN 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 11 February 2014.

We deeply regret that Turkey’s refusal to negotiate within the framework set by the UN Secretary-General, and in particular Turkey’s intransigent stance on the key Chapters of Security and Guarantees and its insistence on maintaining guarantees, troops and intervention rights in reunited Cyprus, did not allow for a positive outcome to be reached during the Conference on Cyprus in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, this past July.

The Conference on Cyprus was the result of the agreement of 4 June 2017, where the UN Secretary-General, Mr Αntοniο Guterres, publicly underlined, that the Chapter of Security and Guarantees constitutes an essential element in reaching an overall agreement on the Cyprus problem. On 30 June, following consultations with all stakeholders, Mr Guterres set the framework within which the negotiations should proceed, for progress to be achieved on six thematic topics, including on the Chapter of Security and Guarantees and the issue of foreign troops.

Acting within the framework of the UN Secretary-General, the Greek Cypriot side submitted comprehensive proposals on all six thematic areas identified. Regrettably, the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side submitted proposals, which were not only contrary to the ideas set by the UN, but also contravened EU law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Moreover, the Turkish side proceeded with rejecting the UN Secretary-General’s proposal for issuing a press statement, which would in fact record, among other, the parties’ commitment on abolishing the current system of security and guarantees, and the termination of the so called rights of intervention. Instead, the Turkish Foreign Minister repeated Turkey’s traditional positions on maintaining a system of security and guarantees, and a permanent presence of troops in reunited Cyprus. Moreover, contrary to the UN framework on territorial adjustments, Turkey steadfastly refused to address Greek Cypriot concerns.

It is deeply disappointing that, at a critical point in the process, when Turkey was called to prove in a tangible manner its rhetoric that it is committed to a solution, it merely repeated its well-known unacceptable positions. We therefore hope that Turkey will revisit its intransigent positions, particularly, in the areas of security and guarantees, and as regards demands that are not in line with Cyprus’ capacity as a member state of the EU, so as to create sound prospects of achieving an overall agreement.

I would like to convey 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 international and EU law, that reunites Cyprus in a 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.

Your Excellency,

Five years ago, at the time of my first election as President of the Republic of Cyprus, this country was on the verge of financial collapse. Today, we can proudly –once more- connect Cyprus to growth and potential. Cyprus is currently one of the fastest growing economies of the EU, with a GDP growth rate close to 4%. Most importantly, this growth rate is expected to remain at similar levels for the next coming years.

My Government’s plan, during the next five years, is to continuously improve the country’s business environment so as to reinforce the position of Cyprus as a competitive, innovative, stable and fully transparent destination for business and investment; to maintain sound public finances; to continue the promotion of structural reforms; to preserve a stable and competitive tax regime and providing incentives for new business and investment. The majority of economic sectors in Cyprus present growth opportunities: Energy, Tourism, Shipping, Real Estate, Education, Health, Transport, Research and Innovation.

Despite the economic difficulties that we have faced in the near past, our country’s comparative advantages not only remain intact, but have been further enhanced and expanded, setting them apart from most investment destinations. Cyprus today continues to be a highly competitive centre for international businesses, offering a platform for operations and preferential access to markets like Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

From my side, I should emphasize the strong commitment of my Government to continue working so that Cyprus remains firmly on a path of sustainable growth. We shall continue to invest in our human capital, supporting higher education and research, and creating a business-friendly economic environment.

Your Excellency,

I would kindly request that you convey to convey to His Highness, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Government of the UAE and the Emirati people, both my own warmest wishes, as well as those of the people of Cyprus, for peace and prosperity.

I warmly welcome you to Cyprus, Ambassador, and I wish you a constructive and fruitful tenure.”

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EA