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Austria and Cyprus have strong and historic ties, underpinned by a shared commitment to upholding the rule-based international order and human rights. In this context, they reaffirmed their strong commitment to the multilateral approach as the only viable channel to address common challenges.
President Christodoulides and Chancellor Nehammer had, yesterday, an extensive discussion on President Christodoulides' ongoing efforts to resume negotiations for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with EU law, values and principles. They exchanged views on President Christodoulides' proposal aimed at breaking the deadlock and resuming negotiations under UN auspices. They agreed that it is important for the EU to play a more active role, both at the present juncture for the resumption of negotiations and at the negotiating table once negotiations resume. Cyprus is an EU Member State and it is in the EU's interest to ensure that a reunited Cyprus remains a viable and fully functioning EU partner. EU membership is the best guarantee for the security and prosperity of Cyprus and all its citizens. President Christodoulides welcomed Austria's continued engagement through its long-term participation in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
Regarding bilateral relations, they discussed ways to further strengthen and expand the already excellent ties in various areas such as security, education, tourism, digital transformation and culture.
Regarding European issues, Austria and Cyprus share a common position on the importance of the Union's strategic autonomy to enable the Union to fulfil its geostrategic role. They share the importance of keeping the integration of the Western Balkans at the top of the EU's agenda. At the same time, they agreed on the importance of deepening the EU's relations with its neighbours, in particular with the Middle East and North Africa, in order to address various common challenges.
In addition, they reaffirmed their strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, as well as the importance of the EU's continued support to the country for as long as necessary.
As the two EU Member States with the highest population share of asylum applications, they also discussed irregular migration, a major challenge that requires a European response that addresses both the specificities of the Member States and the root causes of migratory flows. They welcomed the recent progress made on the new Pact on Asylum and Migration as a step in the right direction towards establishing a fair and workable system. They stressed the importance of cooperation with safe third countries in order to reduce the pressure of irregular migration into the EU, ahead of the June European Council. In addition, they confirmed the need for substantial EU funds for border protection, including physical infrastructure.
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