The President of the Republic receives the credentials
of
the Ambassador of the Republic of
Philippines
The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, received today,
at a formal ceremony, at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the
Ambassador of the Republic of Philippines to the Republic of Cyprus, stationed
in Athens, Mr Nestor Z. Ochoa.
Presenting his credentials, Ambassador Ochoa
said:
“Excellency,
It is my honor and great pleasure to present the letter of credence
signed by H.E. Benigno Simeon Aquino III, President of the Republic of the
Philippines.
Cognisant of the strong friendly relations between the Philippines
and Cyprus that have celebrated their 35th anniversary last year, I am positive
that these relations will continue to deepen during my tenure.
Our bilateral relations shall be made even stronger by continuing our
high level exchanges of visits, which we hope to facilitate further by signing a
visa waiver agreement for diplomatic and official passport holders.
I hope that our two countries will continue to pursue our common
goals for the betterment of our country and our peoples as we open more
opportunities for closer cooperation in the international arena.
I wish to convey our appreciation to the Government of Cyprus for
their efforts to work closely with the officials of the Philippine Embassy based
in Athens, the Philippine Honorary Consulate and the Philippine overseas labor
office in Nicosia in promoting the well¬being of 13,800 Filipino workers who are
valued worldwide for their skills, professionalism and positive work ethic.
I am pleased to inform your excellency that the Philippines has been
performing well economically in recent years, and has not been beset by the
economic crisis that has brought many problems to a number of countries in the
world.
The Philippines support the ongoing negotiating effort aiming at a
comprehensive and mutually agreed settlement of the Cyprus problem, in
accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the High Level
Agreements, a settlement which will reunify Cyprus and will safeguard the human
rights of all Cypriots.
The Philippines is also undergoing crucial changes, as elections for
the new President is scheduled next month. My countrymen in Cyprus have been
participating in the electoral process through postal voting. We are
particularly thankful to the postal system in Cyprus for ensuring the delivery
of mails to our embassy in Athens.
I am confident, that as committed as I am, the newly elected
President and his cabinet, will continue the upturn of the Philippine economy,
further strengthen its democratic institutions and broaden its engagement with
allied countries like Cyprus.
I look forward to working closely with the Government and people of
Cyprus in sustaining the gains from the ongoing cooperation between our two
countries”.
Receiving his credentials, the President of the Republic
said:
“Excellency,
It is with great pleasure that I receive today your Letters of
Credence, appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Republic of the
Philippines to the Republic of Cyprus. Please accept my congratulations for your
appointment and my sincere wishes for every success during your tenure.
Cyprus and the Republic of the Philippines established diplomatic
relations in 1980 and they continue sharing cordial and friendly relations at
the political, economic and cultural levels.
At the same time, the Philippines citizens who reside and work in
Cyprus have contributed significantly to the development of the mutual
understanding between the peoples of the two countries, thus promoting
people-to-people contacts and exchanges.
There is much room to expand bilateral relations between Cyprus and
the Philippines. In this respect, I firmly believe that our bilateral relations
can be further enhanced by expanding our cooperation in the commercial,
investment, tourist, energy and maritime fields.
The excellent political climate in the Cypriot-Philippine relations
is reflected also in our cooperation within the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
framework. Furthermore, Cyprus, as an
EU member state, will continue to support the further enhancement of the
EU-Philippines relations.
Excellency,
The Cypriot economy is now emerging out of its most challenging
period to date. Last month, Cyprus has managed to successfully complete the
implementation of the macroeconomic adjustment programme that was agreed with EU
Institutions and IMF in March 2013. With vision, detailed planning and prudence
and with the responsible stance and hard work of the Cypriot people, we made it
possible to restore the credibility of the state and the country’s financial
sector, faster than anyone could have predicted three years ago. I can proudly and confidently state that
Cyprus has become a success story of economic reform.
The combination of the resilience of the productive sectors of our
economy with a very determined effort of economic reform and fiscal
consolidation was key to this success.
The last three years are a prime example of what can be achieved. In
the first three months of 2013 the economy registered negative growth rate of
-5.7 per cent that peaked at -6.5 per cent in the second quarter of the same
year. Today, after almost four years of
recession, the Cyprus economy returned to positive economic growth rates by
registering GDP growth of +1.6 per cent in 2015. Furthermore, in March 2013, the
fiscal deficit was between five to six per cent of GDP, while by the end of 2015
the government managed not only to cover the deficit but also to record a
primary surplus of 2.5 per cent of GDP.
Furthermore, the Government policies and measures have resulted in
the stabilization of the financial system which was confirmed by the positive
results of the pan-European stress tests of the Quality of Assets and Resilience
under adverse situations. With a restructured and fully recapitalized banking
sector - mainly through important international investors - fiscal imbalances
permanently addressed, and a program of radical structural reforms, Cyprus has
managed to access the international capital markets much earlier than any other
programme country.
Looking ahead, we are confident that the economy will be on solid
ground in the medium and long term. The completion of the country’s adjustment
programme is not the end of the road.
We still need to tackle significant challenges and continue our policy of
changes, reforms and rationalisation of public finances in a serious manner,
sharpen our competitive edge and attract foreign direct investments. Our
ultimate goal is to achieve sustained growth and prosperity for all
Cypriots.
Excellency,
Since May 2015 we are engaging in intensive negotiations to reach a
comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. While a common understanding on
an important number of issues has been reached in the negotiating table, there
are still remaining differences in all chapters and we have yet to embark on
substantive discussions in a number of core issues.
At the same time, there are also issues on which even if we reach a
common understanding, the complexities associated with their implementation
require time and careful planning.
Thus, it is vital to be well-prepared and present to the people a
clear Plan, so as to avoid reaching a solution with considerable gaps or
ambiguities that will negatively affect its viability.
On my behalf, I would like to reiterate my sincere willingness and
determination to work tirelessly to achieve a settlement based on a bi-communal,
bi-zonal federation with political equality, as set out in the relevant Security
Council Resolutions, the High Level Agreements and the Joint Declaration of
February 2014, with a single international legal personality, a single
sovereignty and a single citizenship. A viable and functional solution in line
with the European Union acquis, values and principles; a European solution that
will safeguard the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots.
It is our sincere hope that Turkey, an occupying force in Cyprus,
will demonstrate genuine political will to reach a settlement, not via rhetoric
assurances, but through the adoption of concrete steps which will positively
underpin the negotiating process and the climate of hope prevailing in the
island.
Your Excellency,
In welcoming you to Cyprus, I would like to assure you, once more, of
the support of my Government to your valuable mission during the execution of
your High Duties. Moreover, I kindly ask you to convey a message of genuine
friendship and good
will to the President of the Republic of the
Philippines, H.E. Benigno S. Aquino III, and also to the well-being of the
friendly people of the Philippines”.
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.
___________
