The
President of the Republic, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, received today, at a formal
ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the new Ambassador of
Japan, stationed in Athens, Mr. Masuo Nishibayashi.
Presenting his credentials Mr.
Nishibayashi said:
“Your Excellency,
It
is
a great honor and privilege for me to be received in audience today by
Your Excellency and present my Letters of Credence
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Cyprus and the Letter of Recall of my predecessor.
I have been instructed by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan to convey to Your Excellency his sincere hope that the friendly relations now happily existing between our two countries shall be further
enhanced in the years to come.
Your Excellency, it is my great pleasure to acknowledge that the Republic of Cyprus and Japan have maintained excellent bilateral relations since the independence of Your country.
As Ambassador of Japan to the Republic
of Cyprus, I would
like to further strengthen and develop the friendly relations and cooperation between our two countries.
Your Excellency, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your Government’s warm assistance to the
Japanese people
at
the occurrence of the big earthquake three years ago. Especially, I believe
that your invitation to a group of children
from the disaster-hit areas not only gave courage to the children but also contributed to the further growth of our relationship.
I would also like to confirm the position of the Government of Japan regarding
the Cyprus problem.
My Government will continue
its contributions to a peaceful and viable solution as a member of the G8 and as a member of the United Nations so that the people of Cyprus may live in a secure environment.
Your Excellency, last but not least, I wish to you and to all the people
in the Republic of
Cyprus, best wishes for peace and prosperity.”
Replying, President
Anastasiades said:
“Your Excellency,
It is with
great pleasure that I receive today your Letters of Credence appointing you as
the new Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Cyprus. Please accept my hearty
congratulations for your appointment. I sincerely wish you every success in
this task. I would also like to assure you that my Government will
assist your efforts to further strengthen our relations with steady and strong
support during your tenure.
Mr. Ambassador,
I
would like to note that
the relations between our two countries have been excellent throughout the
years. Cyprus was pleased to see the official
launching of the negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the European
Union and Japan, in March last year. As Presidency of the Council of the
European Union in the second half of 2012, Cyprus successfully steered the
negotiations, which led to the results of the third round of negotiations. I
assure you of our commitment to further support this progress to its successful
conclusion.
Our
two maritime countries share common challenges and opportunities. Our common
and uncompromised respect for the United Nations Convention of the Law of the
Sea forms the foundation upon which the international maritime and energy
sectors can develop for the benefit of all nations. In this particular area, we
have experiences and practices to exchange for constructive purposes. We look
forward to that.
It
is my belief that this is also a timely opportunity for us to work together to
bring the people of our two island countries closer and, despite the distance,
to learn from each other and to exchange the wisdom of old traditions. There is
ample ground for developing and bolstering our bilateral cooperation in the
sectors of Tourism, Energy and Fisheries. Moreover, we would highly appreciate
the prospect of Japanese investments in Cyprus, the realization of which will
provide an additional incentive for the enhancing of our bilateral economic
relations. Let me assure you
that my Government is willing to intensively work
with you for further strengthening our bilateral relations.
Your
Excellency,
I
am convinced that the reunification of Cyprus will undoubtedly have a positive
impact on the turbulent region of the Eastern Mediterranean, which is in much
need of security and prosperity. In this respect, I would like to reiterate my
commitment and resolve to work relentlessly aiming at reaching a viable and
lasting settlement based on a series of High-Level Agreements between the
leaders of the two communities and the relevant United Nations Resolutions that will address the concerns of both communities and of
all Cypriots. As President of the Republic, I am
committed, more than ever before, to do my utmost in order to end the division and reunify the island.
In
this framework, my primary goal is the re-launching of negotiations under UN
auspices that will be properly and thoroughly prepared and unequivocally
conducted in accordance with the United Nations resolutions providing for a
bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as defined in the
relevant resolutions with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single
international personality and restoring and respecting the human rights and
fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots and their longing to live in a normal and
prosperous European country. These objectives must be jointly and clearly
shared in order for the negotiating process to bear fruit. The settlement must
serve, above all, the legitimate interests and aspirations of the people of
Cyprus as a whole.
Your Excellency,
In welcoming you to Cyprus, I would kindly request
that you convey to His Majesty the Emperor and
to the friendly people of your country my warmest greetings for their health
and prosperity and a message of sincere friendship. Concluding, I would like
to, once more, assure you that all your efforts to develop a multifaceted and
mutually beneficial cooperation will meet the unfailing support of my Government.
Ambassador Nishibayashi, I warmly welcome you to
Cyprus.”
Present at the
ceremony were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, the
Director of the Office of the President, Mr Panayiotis Antoniou, and the Chief
of Protocol, Mr Nearchos Palas.
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