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The President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, this evening hosted an official dinner in honour of the Prime Minister of Croatia, Mr. In his address at the dinner, the President of the Republic said, inter alia, that the visit of the Croatian Prime Minister is historic as it is the first visit of a Croatian Prime Minister to Cyprus and reflects the common commitment to build closer bilateral relations.
In his address at the dinner, the President of the Republic said, inter alia, that the visit of the Croatian Prime Minister is historic as it is the first visit of a Croatian Prime Minister to Cyprus and reflects the common commitment to build closer bilateral relations. He also noted that next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The President noted that the war in Ukraine is taking place on European soil and inevitably Cypriots are reliving the tragedy of the crimes of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
As in Ukraine, he said, so in Cyprus, Turkey's so-called peace operation in 1974 resulted in the illegal occupation of 37% of Cyprus' territory and the death and displacement of thousands of people.
Finally, the President expressed thanks for Croatia's principled stance on the Cyprus problem and for the support of the Prime Minister and his country in the efforts to achieve a lasting and viable solution in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the European acquis.
For his part, the Croatian Prime Minister said, inter alia, that Cyprus and Croatia have faced similar challenges and problems for their independence and for their voices to be heard in the international community and this similarity helps them to understand each other more easily, noting that Croatia's principled position is respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus.
He added that the situation in Croatia was resolved through negotiations, the involvement of the United Nations, great political will, determination and capacity, noting that this can be a source of inspiration for resolving similar situations.
Finally, he said that his country fully supports Cyprus' positions in international steps, within the UN and other international organisations, positions which are in line with the principles and values shared by both countries.
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