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The excellent relations and full coordination between the Governments of Cyprus and Greece were underlined today by the President of the Republic Mr. Nikos Christodoulides and the Prime Minister of Greece Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who paid an official visit to Cyprus and met with President Christodoulides.
After their meeting at the Presidential Palace, President Christodoulides and the Prime Minister of Greece held a joint press conference.
In his opening statement, the President of the Republic said: "κ. Prime Minister, my dear Kyriakos, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Cyprus today, on your first visit since your re-election. I would like to congratulate you publicly and wish you success and strength in your work. I firmly believe that both the cooperation between us and the continuous coordination between Cyprus and Greece, which testify in the most eloquent way to the level of our relations and fraternal ties, will be further strengthened.
Allow me, before any other mention, to express the sincere condolences of the Cypriot people for the loss of the two air force officers. As you have very aptly mentioned, we bow to their self-sacrifice, they gave their lives to save lives. As you already know, the Republic of Cyprus, as Greece has repeatedly done, is ready to provide whatever assistance is needed in such incidents. All countries, especially in the Mediterranean, are more and more often affected by such phenomena, due to the general effects of climate change, and therefore, cooperation and coordination between us is essential.
I would like to take this opportunity to announce that due to its proximity and special ties with Rhodes, the Republic of Cyprus will bear the cost of reforestation of the areas affected by the fires in Rhodes. We have also had a lot of interest from Cypriot citizens and Cypriot businesses who want to get involved in this effort.
Your visit to Cyprus today is not only a symbolic event. It comes at a critical juncture both for the major national issues - the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations - and for regional and European affairs. A period characterized by geopolitical volatility which undoubtedly affects the common challenges that Nicosia and Athens have to face.
We had a very constructive discussion today during which we exchanged views on a number of important issues related to our bilateral cooperation, the Cyprus issue, the Greek-Turkish issue, the Euro-Turkish agenda, as well as developments both within our common European family and in the wider region.
We had a very constructive discussion today during which we exchanged views on a number of important issues related to our bilateral cooperation, the Cyprus issue, the Greek-Turkish issue, the Euro-Turkish agenda, as well as developments within our common European family and in the wider region.
Our bilateral ties and close cooperation extend to a multitude of issues, including of course our close and productive relationship within the EU, in the field of defence and security, where Greece and Cyprus are not only strategic partners, but are also factors of stability in the wider region, our energy cooperation which is constantly expanding and in many other areas, shipping, education, business, culture.
It was precisely in this context that during my visit to Athens last March, we agreed on the establishment of a statutory intergovernmental cooperation body which provides for the creation of a High Council for Cooperation between Cyprus and Greece. This was a landmark decision in the effort to strengthen and expand our bilateral cooperation and I look forward to the holding of the first such Intergovernmental Meeting on 11 and 12 October, in Greece, as we specifically decided today.
As expected, we discussed in detail with the Prime Minister the latest developments with regard to our efforts to break the deadlock and resume talks on the Cyprus problem. However much some people, either in Athens or in Nicosia, continue, for their own reasons, to see differences between us, our goals and aspirations are common, as are the ways and means of achieving them.
We are following and assessing with particular interest the developments in Turkey following the Turkish elections. We welcome the public statements from Ankara on the desire to strengthen Euro-Turkish relations. After all, the examination of the implementation of parameters of the Euro-Turkish agenda in absolute combination with concrete steps towards the resolution of the Cyprus problem and Turkey's aspirations in the region, with full respect for the existing conditionality and in a gradual and reversible manner, is something that is also part of our approach to the Cyprus problem, as I have repeatedly mentioned.
It is important, and here the role of the Greek Prime Minister in the European Council is crucial, that our European partners approach the issue from the same perspective, namely that any progress in Euro-Turkish relations is interwoven with positive moves on the part of Turkey. Moreover, the June European Council Conclusions sent clear messages. The Cyprus problem is a European issue and therefore its resolution on the basis of the relevant UN Resolutions is a priority for the EU.
In the same Conclusions, the result of our joint effort, it is noted that the EU is fully committed and ready to contribute actively at all stages of the process and with all the means at its disposal, while expressing its readiness to restart its relations with Turkey always on the basis of the existing framework and conditionality. This is in line with the need for progress on a number of issues, including Cyprus and Greek-Turkish issues.
In the same context, we consider very important the recent Security Council statement on the Cyprus problem, which, among other things, reaffirms in a clear way the basis for a solution, the need to appoint a SG Envoy, as well as the need to avoid provocations and further violations of resolutions.
We also discussed with the Greek Prime Minister the issues of energy and migration. Two issues that are high on the agenda of the EU as well.
On Energy, there is a common belief that the two countries can make a decisive contribution to exploiting the energy potential of the Eastern Mediterranean to meet Europe's needs, taking into account its efforts to decouple from Russian gas.
With regard to migration, we have highlighted the need to find European solutions since the frontline states, Cyprus and Greece and some other Mediterranean states, cannot continue to bear the responsibility. The disproportionate burden borne by the Republic of Cyprus due to increased migratory flows requires a unified and integrated European response. We must point out at every opportunity that migration is not the exclusive concern of the coastal states.
Regional issues, and in particular developments in our neighbourhood, also formed an important part of our discussions. We are in consultations with the Israeli side and around the end of August, early September there will be the trilateral meeting with Israel.
We will continue and further strengthen our efforts through a positive approach and through a collective effort with neighbouring states to address the challenges, but more importantly to seize the opportunities that exist.
Dear Kyriakos, welcoming you once again to Cyprus, allow me to express my sincere thanks both to me personally and to the Cypriot people for the enduring, unwavering and unconditional support of Greece and the Greek people in our struggle to end the occupation and reunify Cyprus. You can be absolutely sure that our close coordination will continue at all levels and that both my Government and I personally will work with the sole aim of serving our common goals and aspirations."
For his part, the Greek Prime Minister said, among other things, "My dear Nikos, I could not help but be in Nicosia again today, on my first official two-day visit abroad, after my re-election as Prime Minister of Greece. This despite the battle with the fires that have been testing Greece for weeks. A battle in which, moreover, Cyprus has been our supporter from the very beginning. I want to convey again my warm thanks, and those of the entire Greek people for the willingness with which you always stand by Greece when it faces such natural trials. After all, we are doing the same, and have done so, and will continue to do so in the future in similar situations. And it is precisely this very close operational and governmental cooperation between our two governments that will come to fruition through the creation, which we have announced, of the High Council for Cooperation between Greece and Cyprus, with the possibility of being able to meet with essentially many members of the Council of Ministers, in a more detailed discussion that will promote our bilateral agenda as a whole, in addition to the major and important geopolitical issues to which I will refer later on. We will indeed have the opportunity to both participate in the first such High Cooperation Council on 11 and 12 October.
In fact, we jointly decided that it would be a very good idea to organise this in Rhodes, as this would enable the Republic of Cyprus to actively convey its commitment, for which I thank you again, to participate in the effort to reforest Rhodes after the very difficult fires we faced.
And of course one of the issues we will discuss is how we can better cooperate in the field of civil protection, as it is very clear that the Mediterranean is now at the heart of climate change. Things will become more difficult, not easier, and cooperation not only between Greece and Cyprus, but between the Mediterranean countries as a whole will be increasingly necessary.
I am here a few weeks after the June elections, which have renewed the confidence of citizens in economically and geopolitically strong Greece, the country that on the one hand I believe is very soon approaching the recovery of the investment grade, already implementing an ambitious economic and social plan. We have already passed our first two pieces of legislation, one which I think is also very important for Hellenism in Cyprus, as our fellow citizens, who are registered in the electoral rolls of the majority, are now given the opportunity to vote from their permanent place of residence, without any obstacle, without any bureaucratic difficulty. I believe that this is yet another important intervention for the strengthening of relations between global Hellenism.
On the other hand, of course, our country continues to be shielded defensively, strengthened diplomatically, upgraded geopolitically and, of course, with its top and constant concern, our common concern, the end of the occupation in Cyprus, the final, just and viable resolution of the Cyprus problem, a fact which is also underlined by my presence on the island today.
As you said, my dear Nikos, Athens and Nicosia, Nicosia and Athens, we will continue in full coordination and I want to emphasize this, either at the level of the European Union, or at the level of the UN, or at the level of our bilateral and multilateral contacts, to strive for a just and mutually acceptable solution of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, always within the framework of the resolutions of the United Nations Council. These resolutions and international law are our guide, have been, are and will remain our guide. I will insist that in the 21st century this historical wound that continues to bleed in an independent country cannot be tolerated. Neither the presence of an occupying army in a Member State of the European Union, nor the outdated system of guarantees, the right of third parties to intervene in its affairs, can be tolerated. That is why, as I think we have said many times, any dichotomous thought about two states is automatically taken off the agenda.
It is time for the European acquis to apply to the entire island. The aim is to start negotiations again under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. The negotiations today reaffirmed to the President our firm commitment to this path, but we also agreed to work even more closely on the implementation of the conclusions of the last European Council. A text which, for the first time, expresses the readiness of the European Union to take an active role, supporting this negotiating process at all stages and with all appropriate means, as it explicitly states.
And indeed, this emerging improvement in both Greek-Turkish relations and in Euro-Turkish relations is an opportunity which we should embrace, provided that it is gradual and reversible. These are the two words which I believe will guide this new effort, as we can be optimistic, but we are not naive at the same time.
The President also briefed me on the next steps of the Republic of Cyprus, in view of the 78th UN General Assembly in September.
With regard to Greek-Turkish relations, which I believe to a certain extent are also related to what we discussed, in Vilnius both President Erdogan and I sought to re-launch a period of good relations, to gradually promote a positive agenda. We agreed to activate bilateral channels of communication, to maintain this climate of calm and to convene the High Cooperation Council in Thessaloniki towards the end of the year. Today's positive climate does not mean that Turkey has substantially changed its policy, nor have the substantial differences in our positions ceased to exist. However, Greece is confident and wants to make the most of the situation, to exhaust every possibility to improve our bilateral relations. At the same time, Greece will insist that Ankara must definitively abandon its aggressive and offensive behavior and along with it, abandon its unjustified claims against the national sovereignty and integrity of both Greece and Cyprus. And I would hope, as we discussed, that this improvement in Greek-Turkish relations may have a positive impact on the Cyprus problem as well. And accordingly, of course. Athens and Nicosia are drawing up, cooperating more and more closely in all these areas, so that in the coming months we will exhaust every possibility of significant progress on both the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations.
We also discussed a number of other issues. Migration, on which both I and the President participated in a summit organised by the Italian Prime Minister. Unfortunately I could not be with you because of the situation in Greece."
He added that this problem "will not be solved if we manage to dismantle the networks of traffickers who, taking advantage of human suffering, put in immediate danger persecuted people who embark on an extremely dangerous journey across the Mediterranean."
He pointed out that "we also discussed issues relating to our energy cooperation. The Russian invasion of Ukraine led the European Union to a complete reorientation of its energy priorities."
He added that the EU is better off sourcing gas from either European countries or countries that are natural allies of the European Union, such as Israel.
Finally, he said that Cyprus and Greece "are agents of geopolitical stability in the wider region and we will continue to strive to strengthen our geopolitical footprint for the benefit of our two peoples."
Finally, he said that Cyprus and Greece "are agents of geopolitical stability in the wider region and we will continue to strive to strengthen our geopolitical footprint for the benefit of our two peoples.
Afterwards, the President and the Prime Minister answered questions from journalists.
Asked how Athens and Nicosia can upgrade their role and cooperation between them on issues that are important and at the forefront of European priorities, such as migration, energy, civil protection and the climate crisis, the President of the Republic said that "we discussed the areas you mentioned, but also other issues of concern to the European Union. For example, Cyprus and Greece are the countries bordering the region, a region of particular geostrategic importance and we have an obligation as Member States of the European Union, as representatives, if you like, of the European Union in the region, to highlight on the one hand the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean, the wider Middle East, but at the same time the need for the European Union to strengthen its presence in the region. The same applies to migration and energy issues. And it is precisely for this reason that it was decided to set up these joint meetings with members of the Council of Ministers, where we will also discuss issues that are strictly national issues, Greek-Turkish issues and the Cyprus problem. Precisely through the strengthening of our cooperation on these issues, to highlight even more our role in the European Union."
For his part, the Prime Minister said that the President is right "to point out a paradox. The paradox is that while our countries participate in trilateral arrangements, we have High Councils with other countries, Greece and Cyprus have never had such an instrument and I think that this is important and it demonstrates the fact that the big national issue has monopolized our contacts to such an extent that we may have neglected other areas of cooperation, which are very important.
Our credibility within the European Union for the resolution of our major geopolitical issues also passes through an important contribution of the European Union. At least that is what my own experience shows me. We are more credible when we talk about other people's problems and other people's issues, not just our own issues, and this calls for closer cooperation in many different areas. I would include the issues of the economy. The Republic of Cyprus has made great strides and has overcome the economic crisis much faster through bold economic reforms, but also on the issues of implementing innovative policy tools for digital policy, issues related to health. We have a lot to learn from each other, I think, and I really look forward to this closer cooperation that will extend beyond the regular cooperation that the ministers in charge have on critical geopolitical issues. To give you an indication, we talked about energy, but also the issues of civil protection, which will be of much greater concern to us in the years to come. It is not only the issues of forest fires, it is the issues in water use, critical for regions like the Eastern Mediterranean countries, which will be increasingly challenged by water scarcity, the protection of biodiversity, tourism.
What is the future of our tourism industry and how do we deal with the fact that the summer months are getting hotter and hotter? So we have common challenges on these issues."
Asked what he takes from the dialogue he had in Vilnius with the Turkish President, in relation to the Cyprus problem, and whether there is an intention of Athens to proceed with initiatives to assist President Christodoulides, the Greek Prime Minister said that "already, Greece's support to any initiative undertaken by the President and the Greek Cypriot side is given and self-evident. Beyond that, I will answer you directly that President Erdoğan knows, and I have conveyed this to him again, that an improvement, the apparent improvement in Euro-Turkish relations cannot not include the Cyprus problem, it cannot be an entrenched problem, which we leave aside, because it is simply so important for both of us, and I believe for the European Union, that it must always be on the table. Insisting on a two-state solution only leads to deadlock. We must return to the original concept. We are going to pick up where we left off in Crans-Montana, to preserve the acquis of what was agreed to move on from there, but we are not going to change the rules of the game, the terms of a solution as shaped by multiple UN Council resolutions."
Asked what is the realistic expectation that can exist through a trilateral meeting with the UN Secretary General in New York, given the positions of the parties, the President said: "My sole aspiration through the proposal for a joint meeting with the UN Secretary General is to break the deadlock and resume the talks from where they were interrupted in the summer of 2017 and we will do everything possible without downplaying the difficulties, the problems. Kyriakos very aptly mentioned earlier that we are not naïve, we know what the state of affairs is, but this in no way means that we will stop our efforts. And it is important that in this pursuit of resuming the talks we have the support of the European Union, we have the support of the United Nations Security Council and I believe that the United Nations is also working in this direction. It is for this reason, for example, that we will have a visit to Cyprus at the beginning of September. I expect a visit from a United Nations official who will prepare the ground so that there will be a joint meeting of the three of us in New York. But a meeting that will be followed by a positive outcome and for us at the moment the desired objective is the appointment of a representative of the UN Secretary General with a mandate from the Security Council in terms of the resumption of the talks."
Asked if he can assure the Greek Prime Minister that he knows, on the substance of the positions on the Cyprus problem in view of the negotiations, what exactly Nicosia wants or if he knows what Nicosia does not want, Mitsotakis said that "you are talking to the Greek Prime Minister, who has been in this position for four years now. We have total coordination and there are no information barriers between Greece and Cyprus. Between Nicosia and Athens. And I believe I know everything I need to know. And the Cypriot President knows everything he needs to know. And I say this because it is very important, as Nikos has stressed, to stop various people who insist, fortunately there are very few of them, in a methodical way to sow various weeds in the relations between the two states. We will not indulge them."
Asked whether he believes that the 700 fires in Greece are accidental incidents or whether there are incidents of arson or even provocation, Mitsotakis said that "we have said many times that most of the fires are caused by human hands, either by deceit or negligence." He added that the justice system does what it has to do and the Fire Service always investigates the causes of all fires.
Asked about the long duration of their private meeting, the President of the Republic said that "certainly the one hour that our private meeting lasted was not about bridging any differences or disagreements. There is an ongoing, regular contact with the Greek Prime Minister. I deeply appreciate, in both of my participations so far in the European Council, the interest and the way in which the Greek Prime Minister speaks about Cyprus' issues, and I thank him publicly. Our discussion today was very specifically about our next steps on the issues I have mentioned above."
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