The
President of the Republic receives the credentials
of the
High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades,
received today, at a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials
of the High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the Republic
of Cyprus, stationed in Cairo, Mr Wahidur Rahman.
Presenting his credentials, High Commissioner Rahman
said:
“Your Excellency,
Allow me to convey the warmest greetings and best wishes
of the Hon'ble President of Bangladesh, H.E. Md. Abdul Hamid and the Hon'ble
Prime Minister, H.E. Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh, to you
personally and through you to the wonderful people of Cyprus. I firmly believe
that there are enormous possibilities to further strengthen and expand bilateral
ties between our two friendly countries. It is my earnest hope that with your
kind blessing and support, I shall succeed in my endeavors to promote further
and cement the excellent ties that already exist between our two countries.
Now, I have the honour to present your Excellency the
Letter of Recall of my Predecessor and my Credentials by which the Hon'ble
President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh has appointed me to be the next
High Commissioner of the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the Republic of
Cyprus.
Excellency,
Bangladesh attaches great importance to her relations
with Cyprus. She is very much interested in strengthening its relations further.
The present Government, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina, is rendering relentless efforts upon materializing the objects of
independence by declaring Vision 2021. Over the span of time, we have achieved
some significant progress in the field of agriculture, education, health, rural
infrastructure, communication, ICT, women empowerment etc. at the national
level. During the time of our independence, our population was 75 million within
the landmass of one hundred fifty thousand square kilometers. The population has
now become 170 million. Now Bangladesh has achieved its own food security. She
is able to meet huge foodstuff for the present growing population through the
use of our cultivable land.
Excellency,
Bangladesh is the second largest exporter of ready-made
garments after China. Due to our competitive labour forces all the major
stockholders of garments industry have come to Bangladesh. Bangladesh has now
become a ship-building nation and is exporting ships to EU countries including
Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. Bangladesh also has developed a
state-of-the- art pharmaceutical industry. Our pharmaceutical products are being
exported to 87 countries in the world. Bangladesh has been maintaining a
sustainable GDP growth rate of around 6.5% over the last ten years despite
world-wide economic recession. More than 9 million Bangladeshi expatriates
around the world are remitting 15 billion dollars annually to the country,
contributing significantly to the national economy. Bangladesh has already
reached the threshold of the lower middle-income country. We are very much
hopeful that before celebrating the golden jubilee of our independence in 2021,
the country will reach a middle-income country.
Excellency,
Bangladesh today is considered to be one of the 11
emerging economies in the world and one of the fastest growing economies in
South Asia. Bangladesh is a role model for poverty elevation, women empowerment,
disaster management and in coping with the challenges posed by global climate
change. For more than two decades, Bangladesh remains a frontline contributor to
the UN peacekeeping missions across the globe, helping many countries in the
world in reconstructing their broken societies and building peace.
Excellency,
I am particularly pleased to represent my country at a
time when relations between Bangladesh and Cyprus are growing steadily.
Bangladesh and Cyprus are both members of the Commonwealth and other major
international for a, where we share a similarity of views and commonality of
interests on a wide variety of regional and international issues. Bangladesh is
fully committed to the United Nations Charter and to the principles of sovereign
equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, peaceful
coexistence and peaceful resolution of disputes. Based on our commitment to
these principles, Bangladesh has always supported all UN Resolutions and
initiatives aimed at protecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial
integrity of Cyprus and fully supported the desire of the Cypriot population for
reunification. Bangladesh is extremely hopeful of a positive outcome from the
ongoing negotiations and deeply appreciates the efforts undertaken by Your
Excellency in thi s regard.
Excellency,
Alongside the growing diplomatic ties, Bangladesh-Cyprus
ties are steadily growing in the economic sectors as well. The export items from
Bangladesh to Cyprus include knitwear, shrimps, fruit juice, dry food, computer
services etc. It is my conviction that there is potential for further
consolidating these ties. As the new High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Cyprus,
it will be my earnest endeavor to seek to further build on these relations in
the future. In this regard I look forward to arranging high level bilateral
visits to give further visibility and impetus to our existing friendly
relations. I believe the growing commercial and economic relations should be to
the benefit of our two peoples. In this regard I look forward to the early
conclusion of the proposed draft agreement on Merchant Shipping between
Bangladesh and Cyprus. We also look forward for prospective investors from
Cyprus to take advantage of the investor's friendly atmosphere in Bangladesh and
invest in var ious promising sectors. Our power sector offers scope and
opportunities for Independent Power Providers (IPP). There are opportunities to
invest in Thermal Power Projects, Mega Coal Projects and Renewable Energy
Projects.
Excellency,
I wish, Your Excellency, good health, long life,
happiness and continued prosperity for the people of Cyprus.”
Replying, the President of the Republic
said:
“Your Excellency,
It is with great pleasure that I receive today your
Letters of Credence, accrediting you as the new High Commissioner of the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh to the Republic of Cyprus. Let me welcome you to
my country and wish you all the best in your new and important duties.
Our two
countries, though located in separate geographical continents
and thousands of miles
apart, have some things in common, not least of which are the
will for freedom, independence and
human dignity. A heavy price was paid in terms of human lives for these to be
accomplished.
Cyprus and Bangladesh need to push bilateral cooperation
farther and further beyond, especially through negotiating and signing a number
of important bilateral Agreements, like the Merchant Shipping, Avoidance of
Double Taxation and Air Services.
Moreover, we are well aware of the value the European
Union attaches to your country, especially as regards the economic dimension;
Brussels is Bangladesh’s number one trading partner. The same applies in the
humanitarian dimension, where the EU provides the most to your country. Cyprus,
as a member of the EU, stands ready to facilitate the further enhancement of
this relationship.
We follow developments in your country very carefully
and hope for the best. Political confrontation is in nobody’s interest,
regardless of the motive and the justification.
One hopes that the people in Bangladesh, having in mind the ordeal they
went through decades ago, will cope, with much wisdom and determination
prevailing, and surge ahead.
Mr High Commissioner,
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, 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.
Mr High Commissioner,
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 has 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 in 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.
Mr High Commissioner,
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, would also
require Turkey’s active and determined contribution, considering that its
occupation forces still remain in the northern part of our country.
I hope and expect that rhetoric assurances of Turkey’s
desire to reaching a settlement will be at last tested in practice, through the
adoption of concrete steps that will positively underpin the negotiating process
and correspond to the climate of hope prevailing in the island.
Mr High
Commissioner,
In the discharge of your duties, you may count on the
support of my Government. Let me seize the opportunity and request that you
convey a message of friendship and personal health to the President of the
People’s Republic of Bangladesh, H.E. Mr Abdul Hamid and to the people of your
country”.
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.
