The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Anastasiades participated last night in the Euro-Atlantic working dinner hosted in Madrid by the Prime Minister of Spain Mr. Pedro Sanchez.
President Anastasiades had the opportunity to hold talks with a number of leaders of EU and NATO countries, both on the sidelines of the dinner and during it. Among others, he exchanged views with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Canada Mr. Justin Trudeau, Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer and US President Joe Biden.
The President also held talks with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom he exchanged views, particularly on the Cyprus problem.
President Anastasiades expressed to the President of Turkey his readiness to resume negotiations for a settlement of the Cyprus problem under the auspices of the UN and reiterated that he is always ready to engage in talks, with the aim of settling a long-standing problem, the resolution of which would be beneficial for Cyprus and all Cypriots, as well as for stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean, for Greek-Turkish relations and for EU-Turkey relations.
In his statement during the working dinner, before 36 Heads of State and Government from EU and NATO member states, the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the Secretary General of NATO, the President of the Republic of Cyprus spoke first of all about the need to strengthen cooperation between the EU and NATO, in order to address the major challenges of our time, in particular the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has brought about major changes, not only in aspects of traditional security, but also in areas such as food security, energy security, migration and hybrid threats.
Of course, the President added, EU-NATO cooperation should always be based on respect for the autonomy of the two organisations in their decision-making processes, on the one hand, and for international law, on the other.
Having said that, President Anastasiades pointed out in his speech four points that should be prioritised, namely (a) the strengthening of the EU's autonomous defence capabilities, so that the EU can assist in dealing with crisis situations in Europe and internationally, always in coherence and cooperation with allies such as NATO or other countries with which the EU shares common interests and values, (b) demonstrating zero tolerance, either towards violations of international law or towards revisionist policies; (c) solving existing problems that threaten the cohesion of the two organisations on the basis of mutual respect and solidarity; and (d) implementing by all countries the sanctions imposed on Russia in order to make them more effective.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, which he described as an "open wound", the President of the Republic stressed that as long as it is perpetuated, it will continue to pose a threat to peace, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe in general.
He reiterated that he remains committed to ending the division in Cyprus and achieving a functional and viable settlement on the basis of the resolutions of the Security Council and the provisions of international law.
Finally, President Anastasiades underlined his commitment to creating conditions that will allow the resumption of negotiations from the point where they were interrupted with the aim of reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. An objective that will be achievable provided that all parties involved decide that it is finally time for an agreement leading to a normal state, which will be in the interest of all citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
(PM/MB/EXP)
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