Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received yesterday, Thursday 26 July 2018, at a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the Ambassador of the Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Enoch Pear Duchi.

Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Duchi said:

“Your Excellency,

I bring to you and the people of Cyprus, the fraternal greetings and best wishes of the President His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, and the good people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to convey to Your Excellency President Buhari's personal wishes of good health, and the abundant Grace of God to enable you lead the good people of Cyprus to greater heights.

Today 26th July, 2018 to the Glory of God is another landmark in my career, and I therefore wish to express my deepest gratitude to You Mr President for the honour bestowed on me to serve as the Concurrent Accredited Ambassador to Your Beloved Country, and to which I will commit to build stronger bridges of friendship between our two countries.

Since the attainment of Independence by both countries in 1960, we have committed ourselves to enhancing bilateral relations, in the spheres of political stability and economic prosperity of our peoples, as well as promoting global peace, security and the protection of human rights. Nigeria and Cyprus do also consult and cooperate with each other on international platforms offered by the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement, and indeed the United Nations.

At this juncture, Mr President, permit me to acknowledge the priceless contribution of Cyprus to Nigeria's development through its educational institutions, that had served as citadels of learning for scores of Nigerians who have graduated in various disciplines and returned home to contribute to the task of nation-building.

Allow me Your Excellency, to inform that Nigeria recognizes and appreciates the positive efforts of your government in the pursuit of peaceful relations between Cyprus and her neighbours. In this regard, Nigeria will continue to monitor and support every action geared towards the reunification of the island for greater peaceful co-existence between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Mr President, Nigeria considers lasting peace as a necessary ingredient for socio-economic development, and in line with President Muhammadu Buhari's "Change" Mantra, my mandate as High Commissioner is to promote and strengthen Nigeria-Cyprus Cooperation in areas such as Political Consultation, Trade and Economic Relations, Energy Generation, Immigration, Cultural Diplomacy, Aviation, Counter-Terrorism, Protection of Human rights and Human Capacity Building, among others. Nigeria has progressively nurtured a culture of democracy, rule of law, and good governance since 1999. This has created the enabling environment favourable for investment that has since prevailed in the country. Mr President, I wish to state that Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy with a population of approximately 180 Million, making it the continent's largest market propelled by an Average Annual GDP Growth Rate of 5%, extensive oil and gas reserves, in addition to ample opportunities in the largely untapped strategic sectors such as Agriculture, Tourism, Energy, and Mining.

It is on the strength of the abundant investment opportunities in one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, that I humbly invite investors from the Republic of Cyprus to join the progressive train of Nigeria's economic success in furtherance of mutually beneficial relations between our two countries.

I thank you Mr President.”

Receiving the credentials, the President of the Republic said:

“Your Excellency,

It is with distinct pleasure that I receive today your Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Nigeria to the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the Letters of Recall of your predecessor.

I would like to wish you every success in your mission and to assure you that my Government will provide you with every possible assistance you may require in the performance of your high duties.

The relations between our two countries are historic in nature. We also both celebrate our Independence Day on October 1^st. I wish to assure you that Cyprus is particularly interested in further developing a mutually beneficial partnership with Nigeria.

The fact that our two countries are members of a number of important international organizations, including the United Nations and the Commonwealth, contributes greatly to our efforts to strengthen the links through close cooperation over important issues dealt with at these fora.

Indeed, I would like to express my satisfaction for the good record of reciprocity for each other’s candidatures and express my hope that this practice will continue. I am also convinced that our bilateral economic and commercial links can be further expanded as well.

Nigeria constitutes a significant player in the affairs of the African continent, particularly in Western Africa, and I wish to complement you on the tangible results that Nigeria has accomplished in a number of regional organizations, including the Economic Cooperation Organization of West African States (ECOWAS). Undoubtedly, the latter is the pillar of economic prosperity for the entire region.

Cyprus stands by the European Union policies for security, peace and regional stability and integration in West Africa and fully supports the cooperation at all levels between EU and your country.

In this regard, I would like to stress that we will continue to support the strengthening of the relations and cooperation between the EU and Nigeria, as well as with West Africa in general.  

Your Excellency,

With a renewed mandate by the people, my top priority remains none other than addressing the unacceptable current state of affairs with the continuing Turkish occupation of 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, since there is no doubt that lasting peace and stability can only be achieved through the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus Problem.

To this end, on numerous occasions, I reiterated in the clearest terms to the UN Secretary-General, our partners in the EU, the Permanent and non-Permanent Members of the Security Council and the international community in general, that I remain strongly committed to resuming the negotiating process.

What is of course required is to create those necessary conditions that will allow the dialogue to resume on the basis of good will and constructive stance from all stakeholders, particularly by the Turkish side, in order to safeguard the positive outcome of the negotiations.

The above-mentioned were reiterated during my recent fruitful meeting with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, during which I also stressed that I remain sincerely committed to negotiate a solution within the framework set by the Secretary-General, as clarified on July 04, 2017, with the same determination and positive attitude we have demonstrated since the beginning of the dialogue. Within this context, I do hope that the meetings of the special envoy of the United Nations which will soon take place with all other interested parties and stakeholders involved will allow the Secretary-General to be in a position to resume negotiations.

Taking this opportunity, I wish to remind that the failure of the Conference on Cyprus in July 2017 was precisely due to Turkey’s insistence on its long-standing position in maintaining the continuation of the anachronistic system of guarantees, the unilateral right of intervention, and the permanent presence of Turkish troops. I also wish to remind that our side submitted comprehensive written proposals for each and every one of Mr Guterres six-point framework, including on a new security architecture that would replace anachronisms and the strategic aspirations of third countries against Cyprus.

Having said the above, at the same time we should also not ignore the remaining significant differences on the other chapters of the Cyprus Problem. Differences that can be easily resolved by adopting and respecting what is considered as our obligation: The European acquis.

It is only through adhering to these fundamental principles which determine that a member-state of the United Nations and the European Union cannot be considered truly independent and sovereign if it is not free of any third country dependencies, that we can truly establish the conditions for prosperity and peaceful co-existence between all the citizens of Cyprus, in an environment of safety and stability.

I truly wish that both our Turkish Cypriots compatriots and Turkey will respond positively to the new prospect that is presented again upon us, taking into account in a comprehensive manner and without being selective, the provisions set by the Secretary-General at the Conference in Crans Montana.

I wish to reassure you, once again, of my determination to work tirelessly to reach a comprehensive settlement that will finally reunify our island after 44 years of division, ensuring conditions of safety for the future generations of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, without any third country military troops or guarantees. A settlement that will satisfy the genuine desire of our people, especially of the younger generations, to live together and peacefully co-exist, collaborate and prosper in a European country which fully respects their fundamental human rights and freedoms.

And aside the obvious fact that the solution of the Cyprus Problem would be first and foremost to the benefit of all Cypriots:

(i)            On a regional level it would turn Cyprus into a model-country of stability and predictability and would amplify Cyprus’ role as a security provider in one of the most turbulent areas of the world.

(ii)          At a European level, it would end the oxymoron of having one of its member-states being divided, while it would also positively reinforce EU-Turkey’s relations and the overall security architecture of the EU.

(iii)         Last, but not least, the solution of an international problem which has been on the agenda of the United Nations in the last decades, will offer a beacon of hope that even the most intractable problems can be solved peacefully through the United Nations.

Taking into consideration the aforesaid, Excellency, and in expressing the deep appreciation of the Government and the people of Cyprus for the support of the Republic of Nigeria to our continuous efforts to reach a just, viable and comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, in line with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the EU law, values and principles, please allow me to stress the importance in exerting Your influence, individually and through multilateral fora, to Turkey in order to revisit its intransigent positions and demands that are not in line with Cyprus’s capacity as a member-state of the EU, so as to create sound prospects of achieving an overall agreement.

Your Excellency,

During the past few years we have succeeded in turning an economy in distress into a story of strong economic recovery that gained international praise. The positive repercussions of an ambitious reform programme and the careful management of state finances are being reflected through, among others, successive budget surpluses, a dynamic growth rate of 4%, a drastic reduction in unemployment, consecutive upgrades of our economy by international rating agencies, as well as a significant reduction in taxation.

At the same time, despite the economic difficulties we have faced, our country’s comparative advantages not only remain intact, but have been further enhanced and expanded. These include one of the most competitive corporate tax rates, a significant network of Agreements for Avoidance of Double Taxation, a highly qualified and professional workforce and a fully EU harmonised tax and legal system.

The combination of the above, in conjunction with the reforms in the public sector and the enhancement of the tax and legal frameworks, resulted in renewed substantial investments in a wide range of sectors. The operation of oil and gas giants in our Exclusive Economic Zone, the licensing of the first integrated casino resort with an investment of more than half a billion euro, an impressive 18% annual increase in investment funds’ registration, the record numbers of the tourism industry in both arrivals and revenue and the commercialization of the Limassol port, it is evident that our efforts have borne fruit.

The challenge now is to keep up the momentum and ensure that Cyprus remains on a path of sustainable growth. To this end, maintaining the reform momentum is imperative. The entire planning for the years 2018-2023 is a continuation of everything we achieved during my first term in office. With this in mind, we will continue consultations with the parliamentary parties with a view to gain their support for our reforms programme, in the fields of public service, education, health, the judiciary system and e-governance.

We also aim to continue with the policy of tax reductions and provide new incentives, in order to further boost entrepreneurship and attract new investments, with emphasis placed on innovation and start-ups. The new Investment Law to fast-track licensing procedures for large investments and the establishment of new enhanced investment funds framework, are crucial steps in this direction.

At the same time, the newly-established Deputy Ministry of Shipping offers substantial support and attention to the already thriving maritime sector of Cyprus and we have no doubt that the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, planned to be operational by January 1^st of 2019, will enhance even further the growing tourist industry. Most importantly, we will continue to invest in our people and work with determination and passion to drive change, progress and prosperity in our country.

Your Excellency,

In welcoming you to Cyprus, I would kindly request you to convey to His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, and to the friendly people of the Republic of Nigeria my warmest greetings and a message of sincere friendship and solidarity.”

RM/AH/II