Press Releases

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received today during a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace the credentials of the new Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr R.A. Esti Andayani, to the Republic of Cyprus.

Presenting her credentials, Ambassador Andayani said:

 “First of all allow me to take this opportunity to convey the warm regards of President Joko Widodo to Your Excellency. Allow me also to take this opportunity, on behalf of the President Joko Widodo, the Government and People of Indonesia, to congratulate you on your re-election as President of the Republic of Cyprus. Our sincere wishes for your success and strength in this highly important and responsible position.

 Since 1987 Indonesia and Cyprus have enjoyed close and cordial bilateral relations. However, even beyond the formal establishment of bilateral relations, our countries have had long and historical ties since the early days of the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1955 Archbishop Makarios, who was later elected as the first President of Cyprus, attended the first conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Bandung. In 1961 Cyprus was one of the 25 participants in the Belgrade conference, which formally established the Movement.

 Geographically there is a far distance between Indonesia and Cyprus, but I believe that we can minimize the distance through the use of technology in this modern era.  Indonesia and Cyprus share common challenges as archipelagic countries, which adds to the necessity of intensifying bilateral relations. It is high time to further elevate our bilateral cooperation, so we can bring tangible results for the benefit our countries and people through various cooperation in trade, economic, social, cultural, as well as tourism sectors.

We recall the visit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Marcos Kyprianou, on 1 March 2011, that has marked a significant step to enhance the relations between our two countries and further boost the relationship and understanding between the people of the two countries in various sector. During the visit both countries have signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Bilateral Political Consultation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus. I believe this MoU could be more utilized to improve and enhance both countries’ relations in the future. In this regard, I hope that the Consultation can be held this year.

 With regard to our cooperation in the multilateral forum, we highly appreciate Cyprus’s support to various candidatures of the Republic of Indonesia in the international organisations. Particularly, the support that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus has rendered to the candidature of the Republic of Indonesia as a Non-Permanent Member of the Security Council of the United Nations for the period of 2019 – 2020. I am confident this excellent cooperation will continue further in the future.

 On this auspicious occasion I would like to reaffirm Indonesia’s recognition to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. Indonesia supports the continuation of the peace process of Cyprus towards a comprehensive peaceful settlement based on the UN Security Council resolutions.

 Excellency,

 To conclude, I believe there is ample room to further improve our relations by finding new opportunities and means that we can employ to bring our people closer and our cooperation stronger both in the bilateral and multilateral forum.

 For these reasons I stand ready to cooperate with Your Excellency and my counterparts in the Republic of Cyprus, and I seek Your Excellency’s kind support to fulfil my assignments as Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Cyprus.

 I thank you, Your Excellencies.”

Upon receiving the credentials, President Anastasiades said:

 “It is with distinct pleasure that I receive today your Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Cyprus 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 need in the performance of your duties.

 Cyprus and Indonesia enjoy excellent and cordial relations based on the shared values of democracy and human rights, and the adherence to the application of international law in solving international disputes and problems.

 The Government of the Republic of Cyprus remains committed to the enhancement of our close bilateral cooperation, at the political level as well as in the fields of trade, maritime cooperation, education and culture.  We also wish for the intensification of the very good collaboration that exists between our two countries within the United Nations and other international organizations.  

Indonesia is as a key partner of the European Union in Asia and contributes significantly to regional stability.  In this regard, Cyprus is committed to continue working constructively, along with the rest of its European partners for the further strengthening of the EU-Indonesia relations, as well as advancing of the EU-ASEAN cooperation in many areas of common interest. 

Your Excellency, 

As I stated following my re-election as President of the Republic of Cyprus, the greatest challenge we face is the division and occupation of Cyprus. It is critical to end the unacceptable status quo in Cyprus caused by the illegal Turkish occupation of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, and to reunify our country.

In this regard, I would like to convey, in the clearest terms that we remain strongly committed to negotiate a solution within the parameters that the Secretary General set, for a viable and comprehensive settlement, fully in line with international and EU law, that reunites Cyprus in a modern, truly independent and sovereign state, free of any third country dependencies that will offer the prospect of prosperity and peaceful co-existence for all its citizens. 

Unfortunately, Turkey’s most recent illegal actions in our maritime zones amount to escalated provocations and to flagrant violation of our sovereign rights to explore and exploit our natural resources, and do not contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for the resumption of the negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus’s problem.

 Furthermore, Turkey’s pretext that it is acting in order to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots is completely unfounded, since we have repeatedly and publicly stated that:

- The natural resources of the Republic of Cyprus belong to all Cypriots, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, in line with the convergence reached with the Turkish Cypriot side that decisions with regards to the maritime areas will be a federal competence in reunited Cyprus.

 - Cyprus’s goal is to fully explore and exploit the hydrocarbon potential in its exclusive economic zone, in the best terms possible, so as to maximize the benefits for all Cypriot citizens, in accordance with the submitted bill to the House of Representatives for the creation of a sovereign fund for the management of any future hydrocarbon resources, safeguarding the interests of current and future generations of all Cypriots. 

To this end, what I have made clear to the UN Secretary-General and the international community is that if Turkey’s illegal actions cease along with the unacceptable positions and demands put forward by the Turkish Cypriot side, I am ready to immediately engage in a new dialogue as regards the internal aspects of the Cyprus Problem, and also to take part in a new Conference on Cyprus, provided that the necessary preparation has taken place and that the five permanent members of the Security Council and the EU will assume an active role.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to reiterate our deep appreciation for the strong support of the Government of Indonesia to our continuous efforts to reach a just, viable and comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, in line with the relevant UN Council Resolutions, the EU law, values and principles, and the High - Level Agreements between the leaders of the two communities and the Joint Declaration of February 11, 2014.

 We therefore hope that Turkey refrains from actions that take us further away from the goal of continuing the negotiations, and that both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side clarify their intentions and revisit their intransigent positions, particularly in the areas of security and guarantees, and as regards 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, 

Five years ago, at the time of my first election as President of the Republic of Cyprus, this country was on the verge of financial collapse. Today we can proudly - once more - connect Cyprus to growth and potential. Cyprus is currently one of the fastest growing economies of the EU, with a GDP growth rate close to 4%. Most importantly, this growth rate is expected to remain at similar levels for the next coming years.

From my side, I should emphasize the strong commitment of my Government to continue working so that Cyprus remains firmly on a path of sustainable growth. We shall continue to invest in our human capital, supporting higher education and research, and creating a business-friendly economic environment. 

My Government’s plan during the next five years is to continuously improve the country’s business environment so as to reinforce the position of Cyprus as a competitive, innovative, stable and fully transparent destination for business and investment; to maintain sound public finances; to continue the promotion of structural reforms; to preserve a stable and competitive tax regime, and providing incentives for new business and investment. The majority of economic sectors in Cyprus present growth opportunities: energy, tourism, shipping, real estate, education, health, transport, research and innovation.

Despite the economic difficulties that we have faced in the near past, our country’s comparative advantages not only remain intact, but have been further enhanced and expanded, setting them apart from most investment destinations. Cyprus today continues to be a highly competitive centre for international businesses, offering a platform for operations and preferential access to markets like Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

Your Excellency, 

In welcoming you to Cyprus, I would kindly request you to convey to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Mr Joko Widodo, and to the people of Indonesia our warmest and sincere greetings for peace and prosperity.” 

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EL