Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received credentials of the Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the Republic of Cyprus, stationed in Rome, Mr Moez Eddine Sinaoui, during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Sinaoui, speaking in English, said:

“Your Excellency the President of the Republic of Cyprus,

It is an immense privilege and a great honor to present to Your Excellency the letter of Credence by which His Excellency the President Beji Caied Essebsi appoints me as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the RepubJic of Tunisia to Cyprus.

At the outset, allow me to convey to your Excellency the cordial greetings and best wishes of President Beji Caied Essebsi and Tunisian Government for everlasting friendship and cooperation between our two countries.

Your Excellency,

The bilateral relations between Tunisia and Cyprus have been marked, in the last decades, by genuine mutual understanding and promising mutually beneficial cooperation. I would like to seize this opportunity to assure you the will of my country to strengthen our cooperation in the different fields and particularly in the areas of investment, trade, tourism. In my capacity of Ambassador, I will strive to enlarge the scope of bilateral contacts in order to pave the way to a new dynamic and grasp the promising opportunities of cooperation.

Tunisia and Cyprus, as neighboring countries, share great similarities and core values of strong commitment to peace, security and development and should enhance their cooperation on the bilateral and the regional levels, giving that our Mediterranean region has become the epicenter of tensions, crisis and far-reaching challenges.

Tunisia, on the basis of its commitment to principles of peace and international law, supports the UN efforts aiming at reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem through a viable and lasting agreement in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

Your Excellency,

Since the revolution of 2011, Tunisia, thanks to its commitment in a comprehensive process based on wide ranging reforrns, has succeeded its political transition and emerged as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Not withstanding the widespread challenges on the national and regional levels, Tunisia adopted in 2014 a new progressive constitution, set up effective democratic institutions and held three free and fair elections.

To address the challenges that Tunisia still faces in security and economic development, the government has been endeavoring: to implement economic reforms to attract investment, build a genuinely attractive business environment, generate growth, create jobs and foster an inclusive and viable development model.

Based on its attachment to international cooperation as a fundamental key for peace, stability, well-being and development to prevail, Tunisia spares no efforts to boost its cooperation with its partners, particularly the European Union which is  a strategic partner, given the density of political, economic, social and cultural ties with this entity and its member countries.

In anticipation of its membership as a non-Permanent Member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, Tunisia is determined  to serve the goals  of peace, security and stability and the just regional and international causes. On the basis of a global and comprehensive approach to international relations, Tunisia will promote the principles of international legality, mutual respect, dialogue, negotiation and peaceful ways for the settlement of conflicts.

In this regard, I remain confident that Cyrpus would support Tunisia's candidacy for the non-Permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the period 2020-2021.

Your Excellency,

As the Tunisian Ambassador to Cyprus, I will exert my efforts to foster and deepen good-neighborliness, friendship and mutually-beneficial cooperation between our countries.

I am firmly confident that during my mission, I will have your support and that of your Government to fulfill my mission towards the goal of strengthening our bilateral relationship in the years to come.

Receiving the credentials, the President of the Republic said:

“Your Excellency,

It is with distinct pleasure and with feelings of friendship that I receive the Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia to the Republic of Cyprus. My Government and I personally will provide you with every assistance and support in the performance of your high duties.

The Government and people of Cyprus and Tunisia have developed ties of friendship and cooperation based on mutual understanding and respect.

We also share the common political will to improve and further advance our bilateral relations and cooperation to the benefit of our people. In this regard, I assure you that we are ready to work closely with you towards that direction and I am certain that during your tenure our bilateral relations and our relations in international fora will be further developed. Furthermore, given the absence of resident Embassies, I would encourage establishing more frequent contacts and exchanges and tapping into the existing potential in a number of areas of mutual interest.

Moreover, I would like to highlight that Cyprus supports the further strengthening of the relations between the EU and Tunisia. In this context, we are ready to intensify our cooperation on issues pertaining to these relations. It is also our conviction that the Union for the Mediterranean also constitutes an important platform for cooperation that deserves to be further explored.

At the same time, Cyprus and Tunisia share the same concerns related to the threats and challenges of our common region, inter-alia, regional conflicts, terrorism, migration flows and climate change. Enhancing our cooperation will also enhance collective efforts to address these challenges.

Your Excellency,

I would also like to express my appreciation for Tunisia’s principled position on the Cyprus problem and its support for the termination of the Turkish occupation and the reunification of the country, on the basis of the relevant UNSC Resolutions.

With a renewed mandate by the people, my top priority remains none other than addressing the unacceptable current state of affairs with the continuing Turkish occupation of 37% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, since there is no doubt that lasting peace and stability can only be achieved through the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

To this end, on numerous occasions, I reiterated in the clearest terms to the UN Secretary-General, our partners in the EU, the Permanent and non-Permanent Members of the Security Council and the international community in general, that I remain strongly committed to resuming the negotiating process.

What is of course required is to create those necessary conditions that will allow the dialogue to resume on the basis of good will and constructive stance from all stakeholders, particularly by the Turkish side, in order to safeguard the positive outcome of the negotiations.

Taking this opportunity, I wish to remind that the failure of the Conference on Cyprus in July 2017 was due to Turkey’s insistence on its long-standing position in maintaining the continuation of the anachronistic system of guarantees, the unilateral right of intervention, and the permanent presence of Turkish troops.

I also wish to remind that our side submitted comprehensive written proposals for each and every one of Mr Guterres’ six-point framework, including on a new security architecture that would replace anachronisms and the strategic aspirations of third countries against Cyprus.

Having said the above, at the same time we should also not ignore the remaining significant differences on the other chapters of the Cyprus problem.  Differences that can be easily resolved by adopting and respecting what is considered as our obligation: The European acquis.

It is only through adhering to these fundamental principles which determine that a member state of the United Nations and the European Union can only be considered as truly independent and sovereign if it is free of any third country dependencies, that we can truly establish the conditions for prosperity and peaceful co-existence between all the citizens of Cyprus, in an environment of safety and stability.

As regards the current stay of play, the Special Envoy appointed by the UN Secretary-General, Ms Jane Holl Lute, has held four separate meetings with all parties involved with the aim of agreeing on the “Terms of Reference” as to the methodology of a new negotiating process.

My most important political aim has always been, and will continue to be, to reach a viable, functional and comprehensive settlement, one that will safeguard an independent foreign policy, committed to European democratic values. The present status quo is not a sustainable option.

It is for this reason that, in response to the encouragement from the Secretary-General for any new input that could prove useful in bringing the sides closer, I proposed that we discuss the decentralization of the exercise of powers, beyond those safeguarding the union and cohesion of the Federal State and functionality of the government, aiming towards a more effective decision-making process, in line with the non-encroachment and subsidiarity principles.

This would allow us to present a more viable and functional settlement, since on the one hand it would help minimize the disruption in the daily lives of the citizens of both communities and on the other hand it would lead to solving the contested issue of effective participation and the insistence for a Turkish Cypriot positive vote in any federal institution / body / organ.

I truly wish that both our Turkish Cypriots compatriots and Turkey will respond positively to the new prospect that is unfolding again upon us, taking into account, in a comprehensive manner and without being selective, the provisions set by the Secretary-General at the Conference in Crans-Montana. At the same time, it is fundamental, for them to not insist on provisions which would adversely affect the sovereignty and independence of a united Cyprus and would establish a dysfunctional federal state.

On my own behalf, I wish to assure, once again, of my determination to work tirelessly to reach a comprehensive settlement that will finally reunify our island after 44 years of division, ensuring conditions of safety for the future generations of Greek and Turkish Cypriots, without any third country military troops or guarantees.

A settlement that will satisfy the genuine desire of our people, especially of the younger generations, to live together and peacefully co-exist, collaborate and prosper in a European country which fully respects their fundamental human rights and freedoms.

Your Excellency,

As regards the economy, following the severe economic crisis of 2013, Cyprus has achieved a return to positive growth rates since 2015. It is not an exaggeration to say that what has been achieved in a period of just a few years, is nothing short of a remarkable recovery, confirming the resilience and strong foundations of Cyprus’ economy and the excellent prospects of its key productive sectors. We currently enjoy a growth rate of around 3.8%, one of the highest in the EU, while macroeconomic forecasts project a robust growth of more than 3% in the years to come.

Furthermore, we have achieved consecutive balanced budgets, with primary surplus, while unemployment, which in 2013 had risen to 16%, has dropped to almost 7% and is expected to be reduced even further.

The banking system, re-focusing its operations and fully adhering to the strictest international transparency and compliance regulations, is now based on a stronger and healthier base in terms of capitalization, liquidity and profitability. Remarkable progress has been achieved with respect to non-performing loans as well.

In addition, we are pursuing significant reforms, amongst others, in the public administration, the welfare and health care system and in tax administration, while, simultaneously, we are enhancing the position of Cyprus as a competitive, stable and fully transparent business and investment destination, through enhancing our tax and legal frameworks and providing incentives for new entrepreneurial activities. 

The positive course of the Cypriot economy, as well as effective actions in the banking sector have strengthened the confidence of investors and of International Credit Rating Agencies, which is reflected by a number of successive upgrades, currently classifying Cyprus at the investment grade.

Even though Cyprus has yet to reach its full potential in terms of economic growth, I strongly believe that, as a result of the strong commitment and the joint efforts of the private and public sector alike, we are on the right track.

Our plan is to remain focused on maintaining and broadening the conditions under which surpluses and high growth rates can be generated, to continue promoting structural reforms and improving the country’s business environment.

Your Excellency,

In welcoming you to Cyprus, I wish you every success in the performance of your high duties. I would be grateful if you could convey to the President, His Excellency Beji Caid Essebsi and to the friendly people of the Republic of Tunisia, our warmest wishes for peace and prosperity.

(MG)