Press Releases

The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received credentials of the Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the Republic of Cyprus, stationed in Beirut, Mr Abdullah Abdulkarim Hasan Alduais during a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

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

“Your Excellency Mr Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the Republic of Cyprus,

Esteemed Excellences, ladies and gentlemen,

It is an immense honor to present to Your Excellency the letter of credence and to represent His Excellency President Hadi, the President of the Republic of Yemen and the Yemeni people as the Yemeni non-resident Ambassador to The Republic of Cyprus.

It is also my honor to present the regards of his Excellency President Hadi to Your Excellency and his best wishes to the people of Cyprus for more development and peace under your wise leadership.

I wish hopefully we can develop and increase our collaboration between both of our countries in several side (political, economical and cultural) that could serve the people of both countries.

I also look forward to the support of the Cyprus government to the Yemeni legitimate government, by supporting the peaceful efforts, the last effort was in Stockholm, and support the outcomes of the Stockholm talks as a first step to end the coup by the Houthi Militia and lead to the return of our legitimate government and his authority to Sana'a the capital of Yemen which is unfortunately now occupied by this Militia.

We currently need the support from the international community and from our friends to put more pressure on the Houthi Militia and Iran which is supporting this Militia, to push them to the peaceful solution based on The GCC Initiative, the outcomes of The National Dialogue of Yemen and the Security Council Resolution on Yemen, specially {2216), to achieve peace in Yemen.

We also look forward to the support of our legitimate government by the international community and our friends to alleviate the humanitarian crisis that had been made by this Militia.

Yemen also wishes to reaffirm its principled support to the efforts for the resumption of negotiations under the UN auspices for a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of international Law and in line with the UN Charter and the relevant United Nations Resolutions.

At the end I hope that both of our countries will reach more development and increase collaboration in every side.”

Receiving the credentials, the President of the Republic said:

 “Your Excellency,

I am most pleased to receive your Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the Republic of Cyprus. Please accept my congratulations for your appointment and my sincere wishes for every success during your tenure. Be assured that my Government will provide you with all the necessary assistance in the fulfilment of your mission to further advance our bilateral relations. 

Cyprus and Yemen enjoy friendly bilateral relations. Even though current conditions make it difficult for our countries to uninterruptedly pursue the further advancement of our bilateral agenda, I am certain that we share the political will to do so. We hope that positive developments in Yemen will soon allow us to enhance these relations and cooperation.

Cyprus follows closely the developments in Yemen and is seriously concerned with the continuing conflict, the escalation of hostilities in parts of the country and the acute humanitarian crisis which is the worst humanitarian crisis the world has seen in decades. We fully support the implementation of the "Stockholm Agreement", as we consider it an important step towards the re-launching of an inclusive political process. In this regard, we fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy Martin Griffiths and reiterate our support to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen. At the same time, it is vital to ensure unobstructed access of humanitarian aid and other basic goods to Yemen and distribution within the country, as well as support to the country’s economy.

Rest assured that Cyprus, as a member of the European Union, will continue to actively engage in the discussions within the EU on how to best support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy through specific initiatives and actions.

Your Excellency,

Cyprus highly appreciates Yemen’s support to our efforts to solve the Cyprus problem. We continue to ask of you to continue to follow your principled position based on international law and the United Nation’s resolutions on Cyprus.

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,

I welcome you to Cyprus, and wish you every success in the performance of your high duties. I would be grateful if you could convey to the President, His Excellency Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and to the people of the Republic of Yemen, both my own warmest wishes, as well as those of the people of Cyprus, for peace and prosperity.”

(MG)