Press Releases

It is a great pleasure to yet again address the official opening ceremony of the 13^th Cyprus – Russian Festival. A festival through which, by sharing our exceptional rich culture and traditions and in celebrating our well-established and genuine friendship, we pay tribute to the powerful links that bind our two countries.

To this end, allow me to extend my sincere appreciation to the organisers of the Festival: the Russian newspaper VESTNIK KIPRA, the Limassol Municipality and the Russian Embassy, as well as the sponsors of the Festival for their valuable contribution in support of the event.  

Before proceeding further, as the Festival takes place only a few days before the occasion of Russia’s National Day, I kindly ask you dear Ambassador Osadchiy to convey my deep feelings of appreciation to President Putin and Prime Minister Medvedev and my best wishes for steady progress and prosperity to the friendly people of Russia. I also extend these wishes to all of you present here.  

It is a well-known fact that Cyprus and Russia share a historic relationship characterized by deep-rooted friendship between our people and mutually beneficial collaborations which we greatly value, in the fields of economy, investment, trade and tourism, to name a few.

A relationship which both sides on numerous occasions these past few years, either through my official visits in the Russian Federation or various meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, reaffirmed that they aim to further deepen, through:

• Further solidifying the deep political, cultural and religious links between our countries and peoples which have proved to be robust both through time and a number of different challenges we have faced.

• Exploring new areas of beneficial cooperation, as well as enhancing existing ones, to the benefit of our countries and peoples.

• Enhancing our dialogue and understanding on regional matters, with emphasis on the area of the Eastern Mediterranean for which we share common worries, concerns and anxieties.

For many of our Russian friends Cyprus has become their second home, while for many Cypriots our ties with Russia extend beyond business and entrepreneurial activities, embracing strong interpersonal links and respect for this magnificently diverse and rich-in-heritage country.  

We value immensely this aspect of our relations and the natural affinity shared between Cypriots and Russians, as they constitute a symbolic emblem of our relations which have proven resilient and durable even when tried and tested.

In this regard, it would be a great omission if I did not convey my satisfaction and gratitude for the vote of confidence, trust and faith which the Russian people, in particular the vibrant Russian community residing in Cyprus, as well as the Russian Business Community, have been displaying to Cyprus and its financial and economic system, particularly during the difficult economic times we endured following the Eurogroup Agreement of March 2013.

I also feel obliged to stress the gratitude of the Government and the people of Cyprus for Russia’s traditional principled stance as regards the efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement on the basis of the principles that are founded on the respect for international law, the UN Charter and the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.

I truly wish that prevailing circumstances would have allowed me to concentrate on the progress underway in the negotiating process for reaching a settlement on the Cyprus problem, rather on the causes which led to the failure of the Conference on Cyprus this past July, due to the Turkish insistence on maintaining the anachronistic Treaty of Guarantee, the unilateral right of intervention and a permanent presence of Turkish troops.    

On my own behalf, I would like to once more underline and stress that I am deeply and sincerely committed to reaching a viable and lasting settlement that will address the concerns of both communities and of all Cypriots, establishing that the safety of one community would not be at the expense of the safety of the other community and that reunited Cyprus would be free of any foreign dependencies.

Thank you once again for the invitation to address this festival in celebration of our distinctive and enduring ties. I am certain that, just like the previous years, you will have a memorable evening.

(RM/ML/SCH)