Press Releases

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, and First Lady Philippa Karsera-Christodoulides hosted tonight at the Presidential Palace, a state banquet in honour of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who are paying a state visit, for the first time since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus.

In his speech at the banquet, President Christodoulides said: “It is an honour and a true privilege to welcome Your Majesties tonight to the Presidential Palace.

Your Majesties’ visit to Cyprus is a historic moment of significant symbolism. Your visit is the first-ever visit of the Royal Couple of the Netherlands to Cyprus since our independence in 1960.

Tonight, we celebrate the long-standing friendship between Cyprus and the Netherlands, between two peoples that have had contacts since the Middle Ages, between two like-minded members of our common European family, between two partners that enjoy a multifaceted cooperation of immense potential, inter alia, in the sectors of economy, education, tourism, defence, and of course people-to-people contacts.

Tonight, we also celebrate and honour Their Majesties themselves.  We honour them not only for having extended their friendship to our country and people, but also for the genuine warmth and dedication they bring to their roles.  We honour them for their commitment to social welfare and environmental sustainability, and for their major contributions on mental health issues. We honour them for their tireless work on education rights and youth empowerment.

King Willem-Alexander leads with wisdom and steadfast commitment to his people and Queen Máxima champions important causes and connects with people from all walks of life.

Your Majesties, through your actions, you have both become symbols of hope and inspiration not only for the Dutch people, but worldwide.

And I am particularly pleased that during our deliberations today, we reiterated our common aspiration for an even closer cooperation between Cyprus and the Netherlands, and our determination to work jointly for a stronger and more prosperous Europe, in accordance with our shared values and principles.

Your Majesties, in closing, let me also thank you for the principled position of the Netherlands on the Cyprus problem and to efforts to reunify Cyprus, for the benefit of its people, the wider region, and the whole of Europe. In this regard, I very much look forward to tomorrow’s joint visit to the centre of Nicosia, the last divided capital in the world.

I now ask everyone to join me in a toast to the happiness and prosperity of the Dutch Royal Family, to the values we both cherish and hold dear and to the continued cooperation between our countries in the years ahead”.

On his part, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands said: “What a pleasure it is to be your guests.  My wife and I are honoured and moved to be paying a state visit to your country at your invitation. The first ever state visit by a Dutch monarch to the Republic of Cyprus. It is extra special for another reason; our visit is taking place in the year your country celebrates 65 years of Independence.

Cyprus, where the goddess Aphrodite was born from the foam of the sea. A country with thousands of years of civilisation whose ancient traces are still visible all around. But also, a country of impressive renewal which is constantly broadening its economy. A strong partner for the 21st century.

When the waters become rough, Cyprus is a safe haven. We are grateful for the support you provide when it is needed most. In a crisis, we know that we can rely on you to provide an emergency reception and help us repatriate our citizens. It is impressive how you have succeeded over the years in putting this partnership on an increasingly professional footing. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaka, which we visited this afternoon, is a good example.

Next month, the Netherlands looks forward to participating in Argonaut, the annual evacuation exercise that you organised so skilfully. Cyprus proves that a friend in need is a friend indeed. 

For many Cypriots, the Netherlands is not some distant unfamiliar country. Remarkably, a large number of your young people end up forming friendships with each other in our country. Every year, we welcome around 700 students from Cyprus. In fact, your own daughter has chosen to study in the Netherlands as well. More than welcome, of course.

Our country may only get one-tenth of the sunshine you enjoy here in Cyprus, but fortunately, young Cypriots do not let that put them off and they feel at home with us further north. 

For its part, Cyprus has for many years been welcoming students from Leiden who are helping with excavation around Pafos, your birthplace, and elsewhere. It is fantastic that they are able to improve their expertise here, where Europe's early civilisation blossomed. The exchange of knowledge and expertise in whichever form is essential to our future. It is crucial not only to students, but to all of us. We saw a good example of this earlier today when we visited Liopetri, where we met a potato farmer who uses Dutch seed potatoes that thrive in red soil. This is a fine illustration of how we work together on important topics that matter to us both.

Mr President, your invitation for the state visit is a confirmation of the close ties that have been developed between our two countries. But it means more than that alone. It holds a mutual promise for the future. A future in which you continue to support and strengthen each other as friends and equal partners in Europe. In the first half of next year, Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time, and we look forward to it. Europe, southeast and northwest have come together and we will never be parted”.  

(RM/IA/MS)