The President of the Republic met
with the new Prime Minister of Greece
The President of the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, welcomed today, at
the Presidential Palace, the new Prime Minister of Greece, Mr Alexis Tsipras,
who is paying an official visit to Cyprus, his first visit abroad as Prime
Minister.
In the morning President Anastasiades welcomed Mr Tsipras and his
delegation while a military guard presented honors and subsequently the Greek
Prime Minister laid a wreath at the statue of the first President of the
Republic, Archbishop Makarios the Third.
The President and the Prime Minister then held a private meeting followed
by expanded talks between the delegations of the two countries.
After the talks, the President and the Prime Minister gave a joint press
conference.
In
his opening remarks to the Media, President Anastasiades said that “the visit
demonstrates one more time your known and sincere interest, but also the support
of Greece through the years, for the state of Cyprus and Cypriot Hellenism in
particular.
During today’s meeting, we had the opportunity, through an open and
sincere dialogue, to reaffirm that the two Governments have as a strategic goal
the solution of the Cyprus problem at the earliest possible. A solution, of
course, that will be based always on the European principles and values and the
safeguarding of the human rights of all the lawful citizens of the country on
the basis of the High Level Meetings, the Joint Communique of 11 February of
2014 and countless decisions of the UN that provide, as the right evolution of
the current Cypriot state, a bizonal bicomunal federation with a single
international personality, one and single sovereignty and one and single
citizenship.
We agreed on issues for the coordination of our efforts to address the
latest provocations of Turkey in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of
Cyprus, so that a substantive dialogue resumes at the earliest possible, which
will create the prospects for a positive conclusion.
The dialogue we had reaffirmed the firm and consistent position of the
Greek Prime Minister that the relations of Greece with Turkey pass through the
Cyprus problem and that the Greco-Turkish cooperation cannot coexist with
provocations and the creation of fait accompli at the expense of either the
Republic of Cyprus or the Hellenic Republic.
We want to believe that both Turkey and our Turkish Cypriot compatriots
will realize that similar crises that are provoked for no reason cannot secure
anyone’s rights, especially when they take place ostensibly for what it is
self-evident.
And at this point, I would like to repeat to my Turkish Cypriot
compatriots and to Turkey that what is self-evident is that the hydrocarbons in
the Exclusive Economic Zone of Cyprus belong to the state of the Republic of
Cyprus and that certainly after the solution of the Cyprus problem the income
from their exploitation will be for the benefit of all the lawful residents of
Cyprus.
Also common is the position that with the cooperation of other of our
European partners we will pursue the improvement of a European Union which will
correspond with the expectations of the European citizens. A European Union
which will have growth policies as a target among its priorities, as the
President of the European Commission has said repeatedly.
Also common is the position that, beyond the growth policies, in order to
succeed addressing the problems of our people, the implementation of reform
policies that are necessary for each country is imperative.”
On his part, in his opening statement, Prime Minister Tsipras said that
“with my presence here today, I want to underline in every direction the high
level of cooperation and coordination of the Greek and Cypriot Governments, as
well as the importance we attach to the efforts of the Government of Cyprus to
achieve a viable and just solution to the Cyprus problem.
The Cyprus problem constitutes the touchstone both for the Greco-Turkish
relations and for the much desired consolidation of peace and stability in the
wider region, which today is in a period of crises and high tension. In this
respect, we had, today, the opportunity with the President to exchange views and
to jointly agree that we will work hard.
As far as the Greek Government is concerned, we will support steadily the
efforts of the Republic of Cyprus for a just and viable solution in the
framework of the decisions of the UN, on the basis of a bizonal, biccomunal
federation with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single
international personality.
We just completed substantive and fruitful talks, which confirm fully our
common understanding in the sector of our bilateral relations. They confirmed
that Athens and Nicosia are on the same wavelength.
I came to Cyprus at a difficult juncture. The violation of the sovereign
rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its Exclusive Economic Zone and continental
shelf through the arrival of the research vessel ‘Barbaros’, I will say it one
more time, constitutes a clear violation of international law and undermines the
necessary talks between the two sides; talks that must continue. But in order
for the talks to continue, it is necessary to have respect, on the part of
Turkey, for the principle of good neighborliness and for international law, and
not threats.
The reunification of Cyprus in the framework of a just and viable
solution, in the framework of the continuity of the Republic of Cyprus and its
capacity as a member of the EU, will benefit all the people of Cyprus, Greek
Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. It will concurrently allow the cooperation of the
countries in the region to be strengthened substantially, thus providing a new
prospect.
It
will liberate positive forces, it will create new conditions and a new era for
Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and the people of Cyprus. In this respect, we state
firmly, one more time, our support for the efforts of the Cyprus Government.”
