Press Releases

It is both an honour and a pleasure to be here with you today on the occasion of the 242^nd Anniversary of the Independence Day of the United States of America.

When Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 historic events unfolded, not only as regards the future evolution of the United States, but also for other nations which were inspired by the pursuit of independence and freedom. 

Further, and equally important, the Declaration of Independence constitutes an inspired statement of values and ideals that have served as a beacon for justice and the respect of human rights and liberties.

The common vision and courage of the Founding Fathers has fundamentally changed the course of human history and continues until today to light our path in addressing, together, an array of critical challenges that lie ahead of us.

In celebrating the founding of a great nation, we also honour all those who pledged their lives defending these rights and values and we reaffirm our commitment to upholding the fundamental principles of the American Declaration which established the US as a beacon of security, stability and prosperity.

During this second term in office, one of the main priorities of our foreign policy is the further enhancement of our relations and cooperation with the United States.

To this end, I am pleased to assess that our partnership has evolved into one of strategic depth, particularly when dealing with issues of global concern, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Our relations have notably progressed via our joint commitment, among others, in the fight against terrorism, illegal drugs, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and development of nuclear weapons. 

In this respect, I avail myself of this opportunity to express the eagerness of the Government and me personally to work closely with the new US administration in order to explore new fields of beneficial partnership, as well as deepening and enhancing existing ones, for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples.

Towards this goal, we are vigorously working on building more tangible economic and investment relations. A bilateral US – Cyprus dialogue is in progress in order to address many issues of economic co-operation, particularly as regards US investments in Cyprus.  During these past years we have seen significant US investments in Cyprus and our aim is to facilitate even more.

At this point, allow me to single out our co-operation in the field of energy.

As I have stated many times in the past, we warmly welcome and express our deep appreciation for the presence and involvement of American companies – Noble and now through the energy giant Exxon-Mobil – in Cyprus’ Εxclusive Εconomic Ζone for the exploration and  exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves.

This does not only mark a new era for our bilateral relations, but it is also a tangible sign of trust to the reliable, predictable and stabilizing role we have assumed in our volatile neighborhood and to our efforts to substantially contribute to enhancing energy security for our country, our neighborhood and the European Union.

And I strongly believe that the above also serves our joint vision of transforming the Eastern Mediterranean into an energy hub that would contribute to the region’s stability, through, among others, the diversification of energy sources and routes.

Speaking about priorities following my re-election, my most important priority cannot be other than ending the unacceptable current state of affairs.

We aspire to achieve lasting peace and reunite Cyprus free from any foreign dependencies through a comprehensive settlement that will in fact embody the Declaration’s most famous sentence: “....all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.

These very ideals and values is what the Government and the people of the Republic of Cyprus also aspire to be the cornerstone of an agreement for a reunited Cyprus in which all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all its citizens are to be fully respected.

Regrettably, last year’s Conference on Cyprus in Crans Montana did not yield the long-expected positive results, due to Turkey’s insistence 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.

As I have stated many times to the UN Secretary General and the international community in generaI, I remain strongly committed to negotiate a solution within the six-point framework that the Secretary General has set as a basis for discussions, the relevant UN resolutions and the EU values and principles.

I do hope that it would be possible, following the Turkish elections of June 24^th, for a special envoy of the Secretary General to explore, through consultations with all interested stakeholders and relevant parties, if the necessary conditions that will allow the resumption of the dialogue are in place.

On our own behalf, despite any recent unfounded rumours, our aim and end-goal remains one and only: To reach a viable and functional settlement, fully in line with international and EU law, that will reunite Cyprus in a modern, truly independent and sovereign state, free of any third country dependencies and which will fully embody common prosperity and peaceful co-existence for all its citizens.

I avail myself of this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for your country’s principled stance on the Cyprus problem and your unwavering support on our efforts to reach a lasting and comprehensive solution. I would also like to personally thank you Ambassador Doherty for your sincere interest and expressed commitment to a fair and enduring settlement.

In this respect, it is my strong belief that the United States of America, as a Permanent Member of the Security Council, has an essential role to assume when the negotiations resume, particularly in relation to the external dimensions of the Cyprus problem.

As we commemorate the Anniversary of the Independence of the United States, we also remember our active Cypriot community in the US, one of the largest Cypriot communities overseas.

And this significant presence of our diaspora in the US helped to establish an essential bond between the Cypriot and the American peoples, thus contributing to the enhancement of contacts and the relations between the two countries.

With this in mind, let me once again express my thanks to Ambassador Doherty for the invitation to join your celebrations, and I wish to raise my glass to the prosperity of our two countries and peoples, and extend my warmest congratulations for the 242^nd [two hundred and forty-second] Anniversary of the Independence of the United States of America!

(RM/MG/SCH)