The
hospitality provided to ships in the framework of a peaceful
operation, demonstrates the stabilizing role that Cyprus can play in
the region, said the
President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, who, accompanied by
the Minister of Defence, Mr Photis Photiou, and the Director of his
Office, Mr Panayiotis Antoniou, went at noon to the new port of
Limassol, where he boarded a National Guard patrol vessel, which
transferred him to the Russian Navy aircraft carrier Kuznetsov,
which is in the open sea off the port of Limassol.
The
President was welcomed on the carrier by the Ambassador of the
Russian Federation to Cyprus,
Mr Stanislav V. Osadchiy, and the Commander of the ship.
Addressing
the personnel of the ship, the President told them: “I welcome you
to Cyprus and I want to tell you that you are welcomed because you
are friends of ours, but also because with the power and the
capabilities that this big aircraft carrier-cruiser has, as well as
your mission to destroy chemical weapons, you safeguard peace at the
same time. Welcome to a country that is a friend.”
The
President then was hosted on a tour of the carrier and subsequently
had a meeting with the staff officers of the ship and the members of
his entourage.
Later
on, in his remarks to reporters aboard the ship, the President said:
“We are especially happy because we provide hospitality, in the
territorial waters of Cyprus, to one of the important ships of war
and peace of the Russian Federation. The visit both satisfies us and
urges us to discuss what we are pursuing, in other words, the
deepening and strengthening of our traditional historical relations
that we always maintained between the Republic of Cyprus and the
former Soviet Union and today the Russian Federation.
Our
joy is great because Cyprus, as a stabilizing factor, can provide
hospitality to peaceful missions, such as the visit of the particular
aircraft carrier and not only that, but also from many other
countries as well. In the same framework, we will continue to
exercise our policies providing all conveniences to every UN
mission.”
He
added that “I welcome similar missions that will choose Cyprus as
their port of call or their station that creates the prospects for
peace in the area.”
In
remarks to Russian media on board the aircraft carrier, the President
of the Republic referred to the desire for strengthening further the
relations between Cyprus and Russia and added that “the cooperation
will continue for the mutual benefit of both countries.” He also
made reference to the relations between the two countries over the
years and said that both the Soviet Union in the past and the Russian
Federation “were always on our side with regard to the basic
principles for the solution of the Cyprus problem and we are grateful
for this, and we will continue to work with our friends the Russians,
for the strengthening of our relations, which will not be at the
expense of our efforts to strengthen our relations with other
friendly countries.”
In
response to another question, the President said that Cyprus always
provides amenities and hospitality to ships in its region, in
the ports, at the airports, in the framework of peaceful operations
and it will continue to provide them.
To
another question, the President responded that Cyprus and Russia are
expected to conclude agreements both on defence
and other sectors, while, at the same time, preparations are being
made for a meeting between the President of the Republic with the
President of the Russian Federation in the near future.
Furthermore,
in remarks to the media after his return to the port of Limassol, the
President of the Republic said:
“I want to express special satisfaction because the hospitality for
a navy ship, in the framework of a peaceful operation, demonstrates
the stabilizing role that Cyprus can play, but at the same time,
given also our friendship with Russia over the years, it was for us a
special pleasure to welcome friends, always in the framework that
applies also to other friendly countries, with regard to refueling
and resupplying of ships, as well as rest and leisure of the crews.
It is in all aspects a historic visit that also has a special
significance for the role that Cyprus can play in the operation for
peace in the region.”
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