Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received the credentials of the Ambassador of Austria, Ms Dorothea Auer, during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Friday, 27 August 2021.

Presenting her credentials, Ms Auer, speaking in English, said:

“Excellency,

It is both an honor and a privilege for me to convey to your Excellency the very best wishes of the President of the Republic of Austria, Mr. Alexander van der Bellen, for your personal wellbeing, as well as for a peaceful future and prosperity for the people of Cyprus.

The relations between our two countries have been characterised by a long-standing friendship that dates back to the first half of the 18th century and the Government of Austria is committed to further deepening these already strong ties between our two countries.

Austria was one of the first countries that participated in the United Nations Peace-Keeping Force in Cyprus, with a continuous presence for over 50 years. More than sixteen thousand young Austrian soldiers honorably fulfilled their duties under the banner of UNFICYP, three of them paid the ultimate price for their bravery.

The mutual understanding and support between Austria and Cyprus, in various international fora, is an outstanding example for capitalizing on the complementary orientation and reciprocity of likeminded countries. Austria appreciates and thanks for the recent agreement on supporting the candidature of Austria to the Security Council for the term 2027-2028, at the elections to be held in 2026 in exchange for the candidature of the Republic of Cyprus to the Security Council for the term 2035-2036, at the elections to be held in 2034 as well the candidature of the Republic of Cyprus to the Human Rights Council for the term 2025-2027.

Our sustainable cooperation in multilateral fora clearly shows that Cyprus has a deep understanding for Austrian sensitivities while Austria understands the concerns of Cyprus, especially with regard to overcoming the existing divisions. Let me reiterate in this context that Austria regularly stands by Cyprus.

More than fifty-five thousand Austrian tourists per year usually enjoy Cyprus as their favourite holiday location. Austrian companies offer their expertise and services regarding sewage facilities, desalination plants, renewable energy as well as the construction of highways – there is always room for improvement.

By establishing the first resident Austrian Embassy in Nicosia in 2005, Austria has placed an emphasis on the fact that – due to our mutual membership in the European Union – we have been tied together closer than ever before in our history. Our already existing excellent relations have since, to the benefit of both of our countries, been further intensified. I am greatly honored by the opportunity to continuously deepen our bonds of friendship in the coming years”.

Receiving the credentials, the President said:

“Excellency,

It is with distinct pleasure that I receive today your Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Republic of Cyprus. Please accept my sincere congratulations for your appointment and my warmest wishes for every success in your important work. I would like to assure you that my Government, and I personally, will provide you with every assistance deemed necessary in the performance of your high duties.

Cyprus and Austria share a long history of friendly relations, based on shared values of justice and peace, and commitment to international law. I am also particularly pleased to attest that our two countries have established a concrete and close cooperation in various fields, as well as people to people contacts.

Today, as members of our common European family, we share the same democratic values and principles. We also share common challenges, as well as the determination and strong political will to jointly address them.

Our regular meetings and excellent cooperation in Brussels, can sometimes lead us to overlook the aspect of our exchanges at bilateral level. We should strive to maintain frequent high-level exchanges, as they can be an important driver of further collaboration.

I do acknowledge also that there is room for even closer economic cooperation. It is essential that we cooperate more effectively in order to promote trade, investment and tourism. Furthermore, with regards to tourism, we should strive to fully utilise our excellent air connectivity. We consider Austrians as highly valued tourists, who tend to be very interested in all that Cyprus has to offer. Similarly, Austria remains a highly popular destination for Cypriot tourists. There is, therefore, great potential for even further development of the tourist market.

Your Excellency,

I would like to take this opportunity and express my deep appreciation for Austria’s principled stance on the Cyprus issue and your consistent support on our efforts to reach a lasting and comprehensive settlement, based on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

During the recent informal meeting for Cyprus in Geneva, I exerted every effort to achieve a breakthrough that would permit the start of meaningful negotiations on the agreed basis and from where the negotiations were left off in Crans Montana.

Unfortunately, the demands of Turkey and Mr. Tatar - as officially stated in the paper they submitted in Geneva - for the recognition of the sovereign equality and of the equal international status of the “trnc” put a stumbling block in our efforts to achieve the desired breakthrough.

Despite the setback, we maintain our commitment and decisiveness to continue and enhance our efforts until Turkey is persuaded to change course and align with the agreed UN framework and the decisions of the European Union.

As regards the issue of Varosha, we strongly condemn the recent announced decisions and series of illegal actions undertaken by Turkey. These actions and provocations are contrary to all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including its latest resolution 2587 (2021) and the Presidential Statements of 23 July 2021 and 9 October 2020, in which the Security Council reaffirmed the status of Varosha as set out in relevant resolutions, including Resolutions 550 (1984) and 789(1992), expressed its deep concern and condemned the unilateral announcements by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders, on 20 July 2021, on the further reopening of a part of the fenced-off area of Varosha that run contrary to its previous resolutions, and called for the immediate reversal of this course of action and the reversal of all steps taken on Varosha since October 2020.

Excellency,

In closing, I wish to assure you, once more, of my Government’s full support in the discharge of your important duties, and while welcoming you to Cyprus, I would kindly request that you convey to His Excellency President Van der Bellen and His Excellency Chancellor Kurz, my warmest greetings and a message of friendship and solidarity.

Ambassador Dorothea Auer, I warmly welcome you to Cyprus”.

(MV/SCH)