The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides,
concluded today his official visit to Berlin, held at the invitation of his
German counterpart, Mr Frank – Wlater Steinmeier, and within the framework of
the preparation of the forthcoming visit of the President of the Republic, Mr
Nicos Anastasiades, to Berlin in May.
During his stay in Berlin, Mr Kasoulides had a meeting
with the German Foreign Minister, Mr Steinmeier, and with the Presidium of the
Bundestag’s German-Cypriot Parliamentary Group. He also held separate meetings
with the Director-General of the Foreign Policy and Security Advisor to the
Federal Chancellor, Dr Christoph Heusgen, and the Director General for European
Affairs at the Federal Chancellery, Dr Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut.
Mr Kasoulides discussed with his interlocutors, inter
alia, bilateral relations, the Cyprus problem, the Cypriot economy’s course
towards recovery, the developments in Ukraine, and the situation in the
South-eastern Mediterranean countries.
With regard to the Cyprus problem, the Foreign Minister
briefed on the new negotiation process, underlining the elements which render it
unique and innovative. He focused on the need to implement Confidence Building
Measures within the framework of a parallel process that will contribute to the
building of trust on behalf of the Greek Cypriots vis-à-vis Turkey. Along those
lines Mr Kasoulides reiterated the benefits stemming from the implementation of
the Cyprus Government’s proposal regarding Famagusta, as a mutually-beneficial
option.
The German side conveyed its support for the ongoing
negotiation process, anticipating that the solution of the Cyprus problem will
be beneficial for the people of Cyprus and contribute to the attainment of
conditions of security and stability in the region of the South-eastern
Mediterranean.
Regarding the Cypriot economy, Mr
Kasoulides briefed on the course of implementing the memorandum with the Troika,
noting that the Republic of Cyprus remains committed to the full implementation
of the programme’s provisions, something that will allow for speedier exit from the
crisis and the country’s return to international markets. He also informed on
the negative social repercussions arising from the unjust manner in which the
Cypriot economy was treated in March 2013, giving particular emphasis to the
high unemployment rates. Along those lines he referred to the Government’s
efforts to deal with such problems and the social repercussions of the
crisis.
In the framework of his visit, Minister Kasoulides
delivered a speech at the foundation Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, entitled
“Geopolitics in Eastern Mediterranean: A Cypriot Perspective”, and gave
interviews to representatives of local and international media.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs returns to Cyprus today,
10 April.
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