Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received today, at a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the Ambassador of Peru to the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Luis Iberico Nunez.

Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Nunez, said:

“lt is with great pleasure and honor that today I present the Letters of Credence that accredit me as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Peru to the Republic of Cyprus. I also avail myself of the occasion, Your Excellency, to present the Letters of Recall of my predecessor.

Your Excellency,

I would like to take this opportunity to convey the cordial greetings of Ηis Excellency Mr. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, President of the Republic of Peru, and extend, through Your Excellency, the best wishes of the Government and people of Peru to the Government and people of Cyprus.

Mr President, please also accept President Kuczynski's heartfelt congratulations οn the occasion of your re-election as President of the Republic of Cyprus. The people of Cyprus have once again entrusted you with the great responsibility of representing their will and, over the next five years, continue the successful economic revitalization of Cyprus and pursue peace in Cyprus by finding a just, comprehensive, viable, mutually acceptable, and lasting settlement to the island's question. We wish you every success in your new mandate, and to the Cypriot people continued happiness, prosperity, and wellbeing .

Excellency,

Peru and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in 1966 and since then we have developed and maintained a cordial and friendly relationship which has strengthened the ties of friendship and cooperation that unite our two nations. The Peruvian Government wishes to reiterate our support of the initiatives aimed at the reunification of the island pursuant to the relevant international principles and United Nations Resolutions. Furthermore, we acknowledge and appreciate Cyprus's valuable support of Peruvian candidacies in various international organizations.

Your Excellency,

With your support and the friendly cooperation of your government, Mr President, Ι shall spare no effort in further expanding, deepening, and consolidating the political and commercial ties between our countries and broaden our cooperation in other areas of mutual interest.

I feel deeply honored and privileged to be appointed Ambassador of Peru to Cyprus, and Ι wish to assure you that during my tenure of office I will exert all my efforts to further enhance and strengthen the friendship between the Governments and peoples of Peru and Cyprus”.

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 Peru 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.

Although Cyprus and Peru are geographically distant, our two countries enjoy excellent relations based on shared values and common interests. I would like to take this opportunity to express the readiness of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus to work closely with the Government of the Republic of Peru to further develop our bilateral cooperation in an array of fields, as well as intensifying the very good collaboration that exists between our two countries within international organizations.  

As Peru is a close partner for the European Union in Latin America, Cyprus is also committed to continue working constructively along with the rest of its European partners for the further strengthening of the EU-Peru political, economic and trade relations and for cooperating in order to address effectively the common challenges our countries are faced with in areas such as illegal migration, the fight against terrorism and organized crime.

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.

Furthermore, Turkey’s pretext that it is acting 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 Peru 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 apart 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 center 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 Peru, H.E. Mr. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Godard, and to the people of Peru, our warmest and sincere greetings for peace and prosperity.

(MG)