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The President of the Republic, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, received the credentials of the Ambassador of the Holy See (Vatican) to Cyprus, Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, 11 April 2023.

Presenting his credentials, Archbishop Giovanni Pietro Dal Toso, speaking in English, said:

“Mr President,

It is my honour and pleasure to present to Your Excellency the Letters of Credence as Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the Letters of Recall of my Predecessor.

In this auspicious occasion I sincerely convey the respectful and cordial greetings of His Holiness Pope Francis to Your Excellency and - through you to all people of Cyprus, “pearl of great price in the heart of the Mediterranean”, as Pope Francis himself named this beautiful island.

I have the privilege to be the 10^th Apostolic Nuncio accredited to the Republic of Cyprus, in the very special year as we celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of the Diplomatic Relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Cyprus, an occasion which deserves a peculiar gratitude and attention.

In this moment, I recall with great joy the two Papal visits to the Republic of Cyprus, Pope Benedict XVI in June 2010 and the recent visit of Pope Francis in December 2021. Likewise, with same delight, I evoke the various visits of your honourable Predecessors to the Holy See, starting from the first President of the Republic, His Beatitude Archbishop Makarios III in 1968 to the recent visit of His Excellency Nicos Anastasiades in 2022. Also, I remember the presence of His Excellency Ioannis Kasoulides, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI in January this year. These visits express the excellent relations and cooperation between the Holy See and the Republic of Cyprus in promoting human dignity, and so making this island a “workshop of peace in the Mediterranean”.

Your Excellency, it is only one month that you are the President of the Republic. So, while expressing my best wishes, I am also happy to convey the appreciation of the Holy See, that you have put as your priority the resumption of the dialogue to solve the suffering of Cyprus caused by the painful division since 1974. In fact, dialogue is the way that leads us to peace and reconciliation, as Pope Francis said during his visit, and as everyone wishes. We are also convinced that this way of dialogue needs the “power of patience, of ‘carrying on our shoulders’, hypomonι, on the basis of the Beatitudes”.

This beautiful island, to which St Paul and St Barnabas since the very beginning of the Church preached the message of Jesus Christ, has been throughout the millenniums a stronghold of Christian heritage. To this day, the Gospel has marked the rich culture of Cyprus, while the Maronite and Latin Churches have contributed to Cypriot society in the fields of education, health, welfare, and respect of life. I acknowledge with gratitude Your Excellency for mentioning both the Maronite and Latin religious groups in your inaugural speech in the Parliament and for the equitable recognition of them by the Republic of Cyprus in all spheres. The Catholics happily wish to continue participating positively in the cultural, social, and political life of the country along with all other communities in this island in a relationship of harmony and collaboration, providing a model of co-existence and a bridge of encounter between the “eastern gate of Europe and the western gate of the Middle East”.

Due to its position in the Mediterranean, the Republic of Cyprus shares in an unparalleled way the big challenge of welcoming and accompanying the migrants arriving in Europe. The assistance of the Holy Father in the relocation of the 50 refugees was a clear message that the Holy See stands with the Republic of Cyprus in its struggle to deal with this crisis as “the number of people arriving is greater than the possibilities of Cyprus” and needs the sharing of responsibilities by the rest of Europe. At the same time, the Catholic Church in Cyprus willingly engages along with the Republic in the mission of guaranteeing “effective recognition of the dignity of every human person”.

In the words of Benedict XVI during his visit, “The ancient Greek philosophers also teach us that the common good is served precisely by the influence of people endowed with clear moral insight and courage”. Mr President, all your efforts inspired by such moral insight and courage in fostering common good are earnestly welcomed and be assured that they are supported by my prayers and actions.

May God bless You and all Cypriots”.

Receiving the credentials, the President said:

“Excellency,

It is with great pleasure that I receive today the Letters of Credence by which His Holiness Pope Francis appoints you as the Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Cyprus. Please accept my sincere congratulations for your appointment and my best wishes for every success in the exercise of your important duties. As we celebrate the 50^th anniversary since the establishment of our diplomatic relations, let me assure you that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and I personally look forward to a close co-operation with you, in order to promote further the bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Republic of Cyprus.

Excellency,

The Republic of Cyprus and the Holy See maintain excellent relations and have considerably strengthened their cooperation over the years. We recall the memorable Apostolic Visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Cyprus in 2021, which has set the framework for our collaboration on issues of ecumenical significance, such as the protection of human rights and the rights of Christian minorities, particularly in the Middle East, combatting human trafficking, promoting interfaith dialogue as a peace tool and protecting our global religious heritage.

Allow me on this occasion to express once again our deep appreciation for the relocation of 50 asylum seekers hosted in Cyprus to the Vatican. Your symbolic initiative is, above all, a strong signal for the necessity of revising the EU’s migration policy, so that the management of the challenges of reception of immigrants in Europe can become more equitable. It was a gesture of compassion, that constitutes also a recognition of the excessive difficulties that Cyprus is facing being the first country of destination, in proportion to the population, in receiving refugees, but also large scale migration flows, through the occupied territory of the Republic.

The people of Cyprus have lived through to the greatest extent and are thus well aware of the pain of being forcibly expelled and becoming refugees from their ancestral homes. As is characteristically mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, it is in Cyprus that the persecuted students also found refuge, after the stoning of the First Martyr Stefanos. Just as your philosophy “We accept, protect, promote and integrate”, as Government we show full respect for the protection of the human rights of immigrants.

Excellency,

Cyprus still suffers the consequences of the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974 and the occupation of more than one third of its territory. The rich cultural heritage of the occupied part of the island, including Catholic places of worship for the Latin and Maronite religious groups, has suffered considerable damage and is in danger of complete destruction. We count on the continued support of the Holy See in our efforts to preserve our religious and cultural heritage from intentional destruction and indifference.

The status quo with regards to the Cyprus problem is not a viable option, neither for Cyprus and all Cypriots, nor for all actors that have an interest in the security and stability of our region.

From my part, I want to reaffirm my commitment to the effort for a peaceful solution of the Cyprus problem on the agreed basis of bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality as prescribed by the relevant UN resolutions and to the convergences that have been accomplished until the closure of the Conference in Cyprus in Crans Montana and the six-point framework of the UNSG.

The pressing question at hand is how to break the current stalemate to create the conditions necessary for the resumption of negotiations aiming for a comprehensive solution. In this context, I believe that it is essential to identify incentives that will create win – win solutions for all involved. With this in mind, I am seeking a more active role on behalf of the European Union, as the only international actor that has the toolbox that can provide tangible incentives for all parties, through a gradual, mutually beneficial (win – win) process. This initiative does not question nor substitute the leading role of the UN and the Good Offices Mission of the UNSG. It is intended to support the UN in their role and facilitate their efforts.

In the meantime, we should continue to navigate through the current very delicate phase bearing in mind the imperative need to ensure a conducive climate and the avoidance of tensions, violations and new fait accomplis.

Turkey’s provocative rhetoric and actions in and around Cyprus do not contribute to the creation of a conducive climate, which is necessary for the resumption of the negotiating. This prospect is further undermined, by Turkey’s declared policy for a “two state” solution and its quest to upgrade its illegal secessionist entity in the occupied part of Cyprus at the international stage in sharp contravention of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions in particular 541 and 550. 

Regarding the issue of Varosha, Turkey is yet to reverse its illegal actions and violations and to respect and implement UNSC Resolutions, including its latest resolution 2587 (2021) and relevant Presidential Statements (23 July 2021, 09 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).

Excellency,

In closing, I would kindly request that you convey my warmest greetings to His Holiness Pope Francis.

I sincerely wish you every success in your important duties and assure you that my Government and I personally, will provide you with every possible assistance so that your tenure will be highly constructive and fruitful”.

(RM/MG/SCH)