The
President of the Republic receives the credentials
of the Ambassador of
Hungary
The President of the Republic, Mr
Nicos Anastasiades, received today, at a formal ceremony at the Presidential
Palace, the credentials of the
Ambassador of Hungary to the Republic of Cyprus, stationed in Athens, Mr
Erik Edgar Haupt
.
Presenting his credentials , Ambassador Haupt said:
“Your Excellency,
It is my great honour and pleasure to present to you the
Letters of Credence signed by H.E. János Áder, the President of Hungary, who has
appointed me as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of
Cyprus.
The relations between our countries have always been
excellent and continue to be so until this day. Throughout the past eight
centuries our peoples have built up strong bonds of friendship and solidarity,
which we will always hold close to our hearts.
The close ties between our people have had several
memorable manifestations. We are proud of the fact that Ioannis Karatzas, the
martyr of the struggle for the freedom of Cyprus and close friend of Rigas
Phereos was a member of the Greek community in Hungary. Today one of the most
important means of contact is tourism. Thousands of Hungarians visit the
beautiful Cyprus every year, paying tribute to its nature, culture and history.
Several hundred of them have even chosen Cyprus as a second home, through
marriage or profession.
The attention is mutual, and we are also very delighted
of the high number of young Cypriots who chose to pursue their higher education
in Hungary. Those thousands of Cypriot students who have studied at Hungarian
universities in the past decades are the strongest link and the best
representation of friendship between our two nations. Our education system keeps
on welcoming students from Cyprus, and I will personally do my best to further
promote educational exchanges.
Allow me to also draw your kind attention to the
important and active role that the Cypro-Hungarian Society of Friendship and
Cultural Relations plays in nourishing cultural and interpersonal ties.
Your Excellency,
Hungary has always firmly supported the efforts aimed at
resolving the Cyprus issue through peaceful dialogue. Having followed closely
the very promising recent developments to this end, we are elated that a
lasting, comprehensive solution seems closer than ever. We sincerely hope that
an agreement based on the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and in
conformity with the EU principles and international law is a matter of months,
not years. We frankly welcome and congratulate the current pace of the peace
negotiations between the two communities, which entails the hope for the
reunification of the island and a stable, prosperous future for the Cypriot
people.
We are proud of the fact that the Hungarian contingent
has been participating in the UN peacekeeping mission for twenty years now. I
can assure you that we will continue our contribution to the activity of UNFICYP
until necessary.
Your Excellency,
The sincere friendship between our countries is paired
with a solid partnership on a number of fora and a number of issues. Hungary and
Cyprus stand shoulder to shoulder in coping with the most important challenges
of our times. The domino effect of the 2007-2008 global financial and economic
crisis hit both of our countries hard, but I am delighted to say that we both
have the worst behind us, and both our economies have emerged stronger from the
crisis. Hungary’s economy continues to be one of the top performers in the EU.
It managed to accelerate at a time when economic growth for the whole of Europe
showed signs of weakness. All sectors of the economy are expanding, industrial
production has grown by more than 10% since 2010. Trends in the labour market
are also positive; unemployment hit an eight year low this year. News coming
from the Cypriot economy is also improving with each day, and the efforts of the
Cypriot government and the sacrifice of the Cypriot peopl e have really started
bearing fruit. The very evident results have been recognised by international
partners and rating agencies. The Hungarian government and the Hungarian people
recognize and welcome your great efforts to overcome the difficulties.
The enhancement of our bilateral economic, trade and
investment relations can be an important tool contributing to the economic
growth of both our countries. Therefore, I shall support the activities of the
Cyprus-Hungary Business Association, assisted by the invaluable dedication of Mr
Costakis Loizou, the Honorary Consul General of Hungary in Cyprus. Exploring
more opportunities for mutual investments by our companies and entrepreneurs is
key, while tourism is another domain where we can increase bilateral exchanges.
We also hope to continue and expand
our dialogue and cooperation in addressing core regional and global issues, such
as the challenges posed by terrorism, mass migration and humanitarian crises in
our neighbourhood and
energy security. Both
Cyprus and Hungary are committed to ensuring the continued deep involvement of
the EU with Eastern and Southern partners, especially in light of the security
challenges. The need for cooperation and joint action has become more crucial
than ever.
Your Excellency,
The feeling of affinity and friendship between our
nations represents a value which provides a solid base for our future
collaboration. As the Hungarian Ambassador accredited to Cyprus, I shall promote
all initiatives that aim to enhance our cooperation both through the realisation
of high-level visits – starting with a foreign ministerial visit in the very
near future – and through our everyday work. In conclusion, your Excellency, I
would like to reassure you that as Ambassador, I will strive to deepen the ties
between our countries.
Allow me, Your Excellency, to also take this opportunity
to extend, on behalf of H.E. President János Áder, his best wishes and the
assurances of the highest consideration to the people and the Government of the
Republic Of Cyprus, as well as to you personally.”
Replying, the President of the Republic said:
“Your Excellency,
It is with pleasure and sincere feelings of friendship
that I accept your Letters of Credence as the new Ambassador of Hungary to the
Republic of Cyprus.
I want to assure you that my Government will provide you
with every assistance in performing your high duties aiming at the enhancement
of our countries’ cooperation.
Cyprus and
Hungary are connected by historical and cordial bonds of friendship. Both
countries share the same European values of democracy, freedom, and respect to
human rights.
Our
simultaneous accession to the European Union in 2004 further enhanced our
bilateral relations and friendship between our people, while it also offered
increased opportunities to further advance our cooperation in diplomacy, culture, education, civil society, trade, business and
tourism. At the same time, free movement of persons within the EU has provided
numerous opportunities for our people to interconnect, be it through tourism,
education or trade.
I am confident that our strong partnership can be further developed in
the years to come and extend to new fields, including defence and energy. At the
same time, international challenges call for our enhanced cooperation and mutual
assistance both at the bilateral and EU level.
Excellency,
Two and a half years ago, just after my election as
President of Cyprus, this country was faced with nothing less than economic
collapse. Today, I can proudly and confidently state that Cyprus has been a
success story of economic reform. The economy has officially exited recession,
and is registering growth as of this year.
With the determination of my government, the resilience
of key, productive sectors of the economy and the sacrifice and hard work of the
Cypriot people, we have achieved:
· to permanently address fiscal imbalances, through growth-friendly
consolidation,
· to have a restructured and fully recapitalized banking sector, mainly
through big international investors,
· to return to the international markets much earlier than any other
program country
· to undertake and implement radical structural
reforms.
Our ambitious reform agenda, targeting the pension and
welfare systems, the public and tax administrations and the labour market,
aspires to lay the foundations for long-term sustainable growth.
Growth-enhancing reforms such as a privatizations’
program, a digital strategy and a more efficient judicial system seek to improve
the business environment which will increasingly attract foreign direct
investments in the productive sectors of the economy and to eventually transform
our economic model.
The “shock therapy” imposed on Cyprus in 2013 was both
unprecedented and questionable. But my government, given the circumstances, had
no option but to implement the Adjustment Program. Today, we are in a position
to look forward to its successful completion within the next few months.
We have learned valuable lessons the hard way. We still
need to tackle significant challenges. And yet, we have used the crisis as an
opportunity. An opportunity to pursue reforms, to enhance our competitive edge,
to attract foreign direct investments with the ultimate goal of achieving
sustained growth and prosperity for all Cypriots.
Excellency,
Following the
non-renewal of actions which violated the exercise by the Republic of Cyprus of
its sovereign rights within its Exclusive Economic Zone, and the change in the
leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, a window of opportunity opened that
has revived our hope that the new round of negotiations, which resumed this past
May, will lead to the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.
A hope that is
based on my conviction that both I and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mr Mustafa
Akinci, share the same political courage and resolve to decisively move forward,
in order to materialize the joint vision of our people, who desire the solution
of the Cyprus problem through a viable, lasting and functional settlement.
A settlement,
in full conformity with the values and principles of both the Charter of the
United Nations and the EU acquis, the High Level Agreements between the leaders
of the two communities of 1977, and 1979, as well as the Joint Declaration of
February 11, 2014.
A settlement
that will lead to the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus to a federal state,
based on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality, as set out
in the relevant Security Council Resolutions, with a single international legal
personality, a single sovereignty and a single citizenship, in line with the
principles upon which the European Union is founded, and ensuring the respect of
human rights of all Cypriots.
A state that
is and will continue to be a member of the UN, the EU, and numerous other
international organizations and whose sovereignty, territorial integrity and
constitutional order will not be constrained by anachronistic systems of
guarantees by third countries and the presence of foreign troops in the
island.
Excellency,
During this new negotiating round, progress has been
achieved in a number of issues on almost all chapters of the Cyprus
Problem. However, on other substantive
issues there are significant differences that need to be resolved.
Differences that, in order to be resolved, require
Turkey’s active and determined contribution, considering that its occupation
forces still remain in the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus.
I do hope that rhetoric assurances of Turkey’s desire to
reaching a settlement will be at last tested in practice, through the
implementation of concrete steps that will positively underpin the negotiating
process and correspond to the climate of hope prevailing in the island.
Excellency,
I am confident that during your tenure as Ambassador of
Hungary to the Republic of Cyprus, the bilateral relations between our two
countries will further expand and flourish afield.
In welcoming you to Cyprus, I would like to kindly ask
you to convey to the President János Áder, the Prime
Minister Viktor Orbán and to the friendly people of Hungary my warm greetings
and a message of friendship and solidarity.
Lastly, I would like to once again extend my heartfelt
wishes and assure you of my Government’s commitment to assist you, so that your
tenure will be constructive and fruitful and carried out in such a way that the
relationship between Cyprus and Hungary is will develop.
Ambassador Erik Edgar Haupt, I warmly welcome you to
Cyprus and wish a productive tenure.”
Present at the ceremony were the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, the Head of Presidency at the Presidential
Palace, Mr Kypros Kyprianou, and the Chief of Protocol, Mr Marios
Kountourides.
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