Press Releases

I am very pleased to welcome a good friend and distinguished colleague, Stef Blok, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, on his first visit to Cyprus. We have extended a warm welcome to Stef and his delegation and in the course of the morning and over lunch we had the opportunity, together, to go over the full spectrum of our bilateral relations. We also compared notes on European affairs and exchanged views on a wide range of other issues of common interest and concern.

We have noted with satisfaction that our bilateral cooperation is at a very high level, as is of course fitting between two States that belong to the same family, that of the European Union. We share common values and aspirations in a number of areas, from foreign and security policy, to human rights and the protection of vulnerable groups, to cooperation within the multilateral system.  

As always, there is room for further improvement and we therefore looked at ways in which we could strengthen our cooperation, in fields such as trade, commerce, investment and education. In this regard, we believe that the institutionalization of a bilateral consultations mechanism between the two Foreign Ministries would provide a solid platform for discussions on how this could be achieved.

We also had the opportunity to exchange views on issues such as the situation in Syria and the Middle East Peace Process. We exchanged information and ideas on how the EU and its Member States can contribute more effectively to the promotion of peace and the strengthening of stability in the wider region.

In this context, I also briefed the Minister on the trilateral cooperation mechanisms that Cyprus has established, together with Greece, with countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This initiative is designed to foster synergies and enhance dialogue and understanding and in this sense is beneficial to all parties, as well as to the EU and its Member States. As the Netherlands is also actively involved in efforts to facilitate and strengthen the prospects of peace and stability in the Middle East, we have agreed to explore potential cooperation and joint action in this area too.

We also discussed a number of current issues on our common European agenda, with a focus on EU relations with candidate countries, including Turkey, as well as on Brexit, as both Cyprus and the Netherlands seek to minimize the impact from the UK’s exit. With regard to migration, I conveyed our deep concern at the latest surge in numbers of migrants arriving in Cyprus and asylum seekers. We are in agreement with our Dutch counterparts that responsibility needs to be shared, in the context of Dublin Regulation, through a binding relocation mechanism which takes into consideration the integration capacities of each Member State. With regards to the EU Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), I highlighted our satisfaction with the progress achieved as we view this mechanism as a crucial building block in our aspiration for a Union that can provide for its own security 

As you might expect, I briefed my Dutch colleague extensively on the latest developments with regard to the Cyprus problem. I shared with him our desire for negotiations to resume soon from the point where they were suspended at Crans-Montana and reiterated our firm commitment to this end.

I also had the chance to brief the Minister on the exploration program in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. This issue is an important component of energy security in Europe, and it is particularly relevant in the context of our discussions today due the active role that a Dutch company, Shell, has in this process.

Last but not least, I wish to put on record our deep appreciation to the Government of the Netherlands for the generous financial support it has been providing over the years to the work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus. These donations not only enhance the capacity of the Committee to carry out its mandate but their symbolism energizes the Committee and offers courage and hope to the families of the missing.

Thank you dear Stef, and once again, welcome to Cyprus.

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MCH/IP/II