Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received today, during a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the High Commissioner of the Republic of India to the Republic of Cyprus, Dr. R.K. Raghavan.

Presenting his credentials, High Commissioner Raghavan said:

“Your Excellency,

First of all, I convey the heartfelt personal greetings and best wishes for your health from the leadership of India, His Excellency the President Mr. Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. It is an honour and privilege for me to present to you the Letter of Credence from the President of India, accrediting me as High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus, along with the Letter of Recall of my predecessor, High Commissioner Ravi Bangar.

Based on our shared values and principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, our two countries have over the years developed and established very cordial and warm relationship and cooperation, evident through our common membership and close cooperation at the UN, NAM, Commonwealth and other international forums. In this context, I wish to refer to the good record of our countries in reciprocal support of candidatures in international organizations, and specially express the gratitude and sincere appreciation of Cyprus’ support to India’s candidature for a permanent membership in the expanded UNSC.

India plays an important role in the UN Peace Keeping Force (UNFICYP). It is gratifying that four Indian Police Officers are currently stationed in the buffer zone, being monitored by the United Nations.

Excellency, I sincerely wish peace and prosperity for Cyprus, hoping that the occupation of the northern part of the country will soon come to an end. It is my hope that a conducive environment will soon be created for the continuation of negotiations under UN auspices, aiming at a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem, a solution which will benefit all Cypriots and respect democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms. India has always supported the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus. I take this opportunity to reiterate that India will continue its unwavering support to Cyprus. We are following with interest your personal initiatives towards the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

I feel delighted to share that under the able leadership of our Government, some significant initiatives have been launched. These include the empowerment of the poor; Skill India, Digital India, Clean India, Start-Up India, Stand-Up India, etc., which will all boost the economy and the living standards of the people of India. These schemes are bearing the desired fruits. India’s GDP growth quickened to 6.3% in the quarter ended September 2017, up from a three-year low of 5.7% in the previous quarter, an indication that the Indian economy has been accelerating.

In the business-friendly environment and the high standard educational system in Cyprus, the Indian community is growing year by year to make Cyprus their second home. The strength of Indian community has gone up to nearly 7000. These people are primarily engaged in shipping, software, banking, tourism, etc., and are contributing significantly to the Cyprus economy. The figure includes about 2700 Indian nationals who are studying in Cyprus.

We have made huge strides in the areas of science and technology. India is reaching new heights in its internationally acclaimed space mission. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched and placed in orbit, a total of 104 satellites into space on February 15 last year. The significance of this launch was the sheer number of satellites carried by a single PSLV-C37 rocket. This year, on 12 January, India launched again 31 satellites in a single flight by PSLV-C40 rocket. Out of these, three alone belong to India, and the rest to other countries. So far, PSLV has successfully launched 51 Indian satellites and 237 foreign satellites belonging to 28 countries, such as Canada, France, UK and the USA.

India and Cyprus have traditionally enjoyed a close and friendly relationship. The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs paid an official visit to Cyprus in March 2017. Your State visit to India April last year took our already excellent bilateral relations to a new height and resulted in the signing of four important agreements. The volume of business and investment between the two countries is also growing. Cyprus is the eighth largest FDI investor in India. The FDI inflows from Cyprus to India amounted to US$ 9.2 bn. The bilateral trade has also increased in recent years. A lot is also happening on the cultural front.

Your Excellency, it is a great honour to represent my country here. I am convinced that, during my tenure, the relations between our countries, will thrive, and our peoples will work together in an ever-closer union.

Thank you.”

Receiving the credentials, President Anastasiades said:

“Your Excellency,

I warmly accept your Letters of Credence as resident High Commissioner of India to Cyprus. I wish to assure you that my Government will provide you with every assistance in performing your high duties, with the overarching aim of enhancing our countries’ cooperation.

I am confident that during your tenure the excellent relations between our two countries, will be further solidified and deepened.

Cyprus and India share a deep, strong friendship that is time-tested, and which is founded on a common adherence to democratic values, norms, and principles. Our two countries hold sacred and celebrate peace, democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, the respect for rule of law and the safeguarding of diversity.

My official visit to India this past April paved the way for further deepening our bilateral relations. The productive and results-oriented discussions I had with the Prime Minister and the President of India, as well as the signing of bilateral agreements in the important areas of Merchant Shipping, Aviation, Agriculture, as well as Cultural, Educational and Scientific Cooperation constitute important steps in the further tangible enhancement of Cyprus – India ties to the mutual benefit of our two countries and peoples. I truly look forward to welcoming President Kovind to Cyprus in the near future, so as to continue our discussions and build on the progress achieved following my official visit.

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 India 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.

I am convinced that cooperation between Cyprus and India at multiple levels, including business and investment, can and must be further enhanced. The raw ingredients sit before us: the emergence of India on the global economic scene; its achievements in an array of fields such as technology; Cyprus’s strategic location and highly developed infrastructure; Cyprus’s membership of the EU; our favorable business and investment-friendly environment. We must explore actively how we can tap these resources for the prosperity of both our great countries.

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.

High Commissioner, R.K. Raghavan, I sincerely welcome you to Cyprus and wish you a constructive and fruitful tenure.”

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AH