Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received the credentials of the new Ambassador of Morrocco, Mr Mohammed Sbihi, the new Ambassador of Algeria, Mr Abdelkrim Rekaibi, the new Ambassador of Philippines, Mr Giovanni E. Palec, the new Ambassador of Mauritania, Ms Ely Salem Zeineb, the new Ambassador of Iceland, Mr Hannes Heimisson, the new Ambassador of Angola, Ms Maria De Fatima Monteiro Jardim, the new Ambassador of Albania, Ms Luela Hajdaraga, the new High Commissioner of Sierra Leone, Mr Morie Komba Manyeh, the new High Commissioner of Barbados, Mr Milton Arthur Inniss, the new High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Major General Md Jahangir Al Mustahidur Rahman, during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Thursday, 14 April 2022.

Receiving the credentials, the President said:

“Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure and distinct honour that I welcome you all at the Presidential Palace today, having just received the Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassadors and High Commissioners of your countries to the Republic of Cyprus.

I would like first of all to assure you that my Government, and I personally, will provide you with every assistance and support deemed necessary in the performance of your high duties.

The further deepening of our cooperation in a number of important fields of shared interest, as well as merging our voices as partners in efforts to address the plethora of pressing challenges we are currently faced with, remains a priority of our foreign policy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Excellencies,

In these challenging times, particularly following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, international cooperation and multilateral cooperation are essential elements in promoting the ideals and values of peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

Our countries share the same vision of maintaining peace and security, in support of multilateralism and a rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core.

To this end, Cyprus attaches great importance to our joint commitment to democratic values and norms, the protection of human rights and respect of every state’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, which form the main pillars upon which we aim to continue building our relations. 

Within this context, I wish to assure you of my personal commitment and readiness to work closely with Your Excellencies to further advance our partnership to the benefit of our peoples, both multilaterally and bilaterally.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Cyprus and Iceland are two small island states on the opposite sides of the European continent.

Despite this geographical distance, our two countries share a long history of friendly relations, closely cooperating through our participation in the European Economic Area and other regional and international organizations.

Ambassador Heimisson, emphasis can now be placed to set in motion ways to safeguard our interests and unlock the true potential of our future relations, especially in the areas of trade and tourism, through the establishment of political consultations.

The expansion of the spectrum of our bilateral and multilateral engagement with Algeria, emanating from our common past within the Non-Aligned Movement provides a solid basis in that regard.

Ambassador Rekaibi, Cyprus remains a strong advocate of the EU-Algeria relationship and will continue striving for its strengthening so as to yield tangible results for our people and the Mediterranean region.

The future of the said geographical context is not just crucial for our two countries, but as we all know it carries significant political weight and affects the broader balances in the adjoining regions.

As regards Sierra Leone, I am confident, Ambassador Manyeh, that the collaboration between our countries will be further developed and expand in the years to come, both in the bilateral and the multilateral context, especially within our Commonwealth family in which both Cyprus and Sierra Leone have been participating since their independence back in the 1960s.

Moreover, an enhanced cooperation between the European Union and Sierra Leone, as well as the EU and the African Union should be a priority, as a prosperous and peaceful Africa is an essential objective of both our continents.

Cyprus and the Philippines enjoy close and friendly ties based on traditional bonds of friendship. Since the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 1980, our cooperation has been growing at a fast pace over in recent years.

The large and active Philippino community in Cyprus forms a dynamic link between our two countries and contributes to the enrichment of the cultural fabric of the Cypriot society.

Moreover, Cyprus remains a strong supporter for the advancement of the EU-Philippines relations in the political, social and economic sphere, based on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force on March 2018.

Turning to Albania, I truly believe that both our countries share the same aim of enhancing and expanding our dialogue and cooperation both bilaterally and in international fora.

Cyprus has been clearly supporting the Western Balkan’s European perspective for years and within this context I wish to seize today’s opportunity, Ambassador Hajdaraga, to reiterate Cyprus’ continuous support to Albania’s path to the EU and I personally look forward to the swift opening of the accession negotiations.

At the same time, our friendly ties with Barbados rest on common principles and values, both bilaterally and within the framework of international fora, particularly the United Nations and the Commonwealth, which adds additional impetus to our joint efforts, to promote mutually beneficial goals. I have to congratulate Ambassador Inniss, and give my assurance that we are looking forward to see how to further enhance our relations.

With Mauritania, as two states situated in the wider Mediterranean region, we aim to further strengthen the cooperation between the European Union and the African Union, but also in the multilateral domain of the Union for the Mediterranean.

At the same time, we have a number of common challenges to face and our close coordination, Ambassador Zeineb, remains a necessity.

Despite the lack of geographical proximity, Cyprus and Bangladesh share parallel historical journeys and common struggles for freedom and independence.

Your country, High Commissioner Rahman is considered a valuable and important partner for the European Union and over the years, the EU-Bangladesh relations have been steadily developing in a wide range of fields.

In this regard, rest assured that Cyprus will continue supporting their continuous upgrade for the mutual benefit of both sides.

The existing solid foundation of friendship between Cyprus and the Kingdom of Morocco remains the driving force in guiding our relationship to new levels of excellence.

Ambassador Sbihi, beyond our bilateral cooperation, we also strive for the advancement of Morocco’s partnership with the EU.

Such a development will certainly benefit our joint Mediterranean region that is affected by the current geopolitical tectonic shifts. Having said that, we remain positive that new fields of cooperation will emerge from this effort, benefiting first and foremost our countries and the EU as a whole.

Last but not least, with Angola, Ambassador Jardim, we share the common political will to further broaden our bilateral relations and cooperation. Working also together in the multilateral fora, and more particularly within the context of the EU-Angola and the EU-African Union, our cooperation can serve as the platform for our relations to flourish in the years ahead.

Excellencies,

Today’s Credentials Ceremony takes place at a time of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and the tragic loss of civilian lives, as we witness the catastrophic events following the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Cyprus, in full respect of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine, has condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s military aggression.

From the very first moment, we stood by – and continue to do so – the brave people of Ukraine, showing our solidarity and stepping up our support to the refugees fleeing the country, as well as through substantial funding and immediate humanitarian aid.

It is our firm belief that democracy and diplomacy must always be defended and protected, and is the only way forward to ensure that dialogue prevails so as to achieve an immediate ceasefire. 

The war in Ukraine has also highlighted the urgent need to accelerate Europe’s energy independence.

To this end, we believe that the discovery of hydrocarbons in the Republic of Cyprus and our immediate region can serve as an important tool of cooperation and synergies in the area, as well as substantially contributing to the Union’s energy security and the diversification of energy sources for Europe.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus in 1974 – and its continuing occupation – are more than obvious. 

The people of Cyprus know first-hand the tragic consequences of war, forcible displacement, illegal occupation of their country and the open wound of missing persons and the loss of innocent lives.              

However, even in the face of adversity, it is important to look to the future and work for creating conditions for the resumption of negotiations to resolve the Cyprus issue, on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, as set out in relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Support toward this effort will be crucial.

To this end, bearing in mind the current impasse, I undertook the initiative to submit a package proposal of game-changing Confidence Building Measures aimed to enhancing the existing cooperation between the two communities and overcome mistrust, contributing also to creating favourable conditions for a dialogue to take place in good faith.

Please allow me to highlight that my proposed Confidence Building Measures, touch upon issues pertaining the fenced city of Varosha, the operation of the Tymbou airport and the Ammochostos port, lifting of the Turkish embargo vis-à-vis Cyprus, and the exploitation of hydrocarbons. The Confidence Building Measures are taking into consideration the interest of both communities, so it is a win-win proposal and I do believe that it will help a lot to restore trust and to prepare as well a conducive climate for the resumption of the negotiations.

On the latter, my proposal also includes an invitation to Turkey to negotiate and conclude an agreement for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone/ continental shelf between the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey, always in accordance with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

It is also my strong belief that we should negotiate within what is feasible and realistic and not what is desirable, but impossible to achieve. And I am talking, of course, about new ideas presented, such as the two-state solution or the “sovereign equality”, which do not only deviate from the UN resolutions and parameters and the mandate of the Secretary-General, but also fall to the latter category of aspiring to achieve the impossible. 

What I want to confirm to Your Excellencies is my unwavering determination to achieve a settlement based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality as described in the relevant UN resolutions, which will end the ongoing Turkish occupation and the unacceptable status quo.

A settlement that will address the legitimate concerns and aspirations of all Cypriots – either Greek or Turkish Cypriots – without any external interference and anachronistic security arrangements, such as foreign guarantees and troops.

This is my vision: Cyprus to become a beacon of prosperity and peaceful co-existence for all its citizens. A vision that stems from the realisation that only through mutual compromises we can reach to a solution that will allow all Cypriots, Greek and Turkish, to live in a modern and independent state; to live in a real, European country.   

It goes of course without saying that it remains extremely important for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side to show a similar degree of commitment and stop undermining any efforts towards resuming the bi-communal talks either through illegal plans and actions in the fenced-area of Varosha and our Exclusive Economic Zones or by advocating divisive or non-functional solutions.

And taking this opportunity, I wish to express our sincere appreciation for your countries’ support during these extremely challenging times, as well as for your principled stance on our efforts to reach a viable and lasting settlement on the Cyprus Problem, always within the framework of the decisions and resolutions of the UN Security Council, international law and of course as a member state of the European Union, the EU principles and values.

Excellencies,

In welcoming you officially to Cyprus, I would kindly ask that you convey to your Heads of States or Governments, as well as to the friendly people of your countries, my warmest greetings, along with a message of sincere friendship and solidarity.

Before concluding, allow me to once again personally assure you of the support of my Government to your noble mission. I have no doubt that your tenure will be highly constructive, laying the foundations for our relations to further advance and flourish.

Congratulations on your appointments.

Thank you very much”.

(EK/SCH)