It is with great pleasure that I join you
all this evening in celebrating the Birthday of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth
the Second.
First and foremost, I would like to express
my sincere appreciation to our hosts, the British High Commissioner and Mrs
Lillie, for the kind invitation to attend this wonderful
reception.
Today’s celebration of Her Majesty’s 93rd Birthday
is a fitting occasion to reflect on the long-standing friendship and enduring
bonds between our two countries and peoples. Bonds which were celebrated
last year on
the occasion of the centenary from the end of the First World War, during
which
16 thousand Cypriots fought alongside their British brothers in arms.
This was repeated in the Second World War, when more than 30 thousand
Cypriots from all ethnic backgrounds defended our shared
values on democracy
and achieving lasting peace. What is also very important to stress is
that our
people-to-people ties constitute, without any doubt, the most dynamic aspect of our relations.
In March, I had the honour of being
received by Her Majesty the Queen and attended a special event
in honour
of Cyprus hosted by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at Buckingham
Palace,
celebrating the historical ties between our two countries and the
accomplishments of the Cypriot
Diaspora in the United Kingdom.
And I am indeed very proud of the active
Cypriot Community in the UK, the largest Cypriot
community overseas with more
than three hundred thousand Cypriots permanently living in the
United
Kingdom, many of whom have received honours from Her Majesty the Queen for
their
services in various sectors, such as education, arts, culture, sciences
and business. At the same time,
UK is one of the most
favourite academic destinations for thousands of Cypriot students, while
more
than 70 thousand Britons permanently reside in Cyprus and nearly one million
Britons choose
yearly our island as their preferred tourist
destination.
In parallel, it is well-known that our
economic, business and investment relationship constitute an
integral and
fundamental part of our partnership, with the UK being one of Cyprus’s main
trading
partners for both goods and services.
On the political and diplomatic fields, our
relationship has been one of constant evolution, based on numerous synergies
on a wide range of issues, both bilaterally and multilaterally, including as
partners in the Commonwealth and at the time-being within the EU. And I wish to stress that
during these past
years, when our two countries faced pressing challenges, we displayed real
solidarity and support to each other. For example, when Cyprus was under the
Economic Adjustment Programme the UK provided swift assistance and shared
best practices as regards the banking system
and in restructuring the public
sector, which has proven indispensable and is widely appreciated.
In turn, as regards Brexit, despite our
small size, the fact that we have an equal voting right with all
EU
member-states allowed us to provide unprecedented support to Britain on
numerous contested
issues which arose during the relevant negotiations and
discussions.
At the same time, in light of current
pressing challenges or challenges which may arose in the future,
this display
of solidarity and friendship, based on our common values to respect on
international law, should be maintained and further strengthened.
You are all aware of the latest alarming
developments within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus
which constitute a blatant violation of our sovereign rights and of
International
and EU Law. I had the opportunity to discuss this
critical matter several times with Prime Minister
May and I wish to express
my deep appreciation for UK’s full support and tangible solidarity with
Cyprus, as clearly expressed in her letter dated May 26, 2019, through which
she opposed Turkey’s planned drilling activities and fully recognised the sovereign
rights of the Republic of Cyprus to
explore and exploit its natural
resources.
I therefore ignore and not give attention
to any statements contrary to the above by any UK
Government official which
might negatively affect the joint aim of further advancing our partnership.
It is not of course my intention to refer
further to the tensions within our Exclusive Economic Zone,
but it is a
situation that, regrettably, deters our efforts to resume negotiations on the
Cyprus Problem, particularly in a period when the UN Secretary General is
trying to provide renewed impetus to the process, following the appointment
of his Special Envoy Mrs. Jane Holl Lute.
Our side, as I have repeatedly stated,
remains strongly and truly committed to the resumption of the negotiations on
the six-point framework that Mr. Guterres has set as the basis for the way
forward.
However, all stakeholders involved should
clearly determine whether or not they have the sincere readiness to engage
constructively in meaningful negotiations so as to finally establish the
conditions
for achieving lasting peace, allowing all Cypriots to live in a
normal and independent state and closely working together for the prosperity
and security of all; free from any foreign dependencies.
At the same time, in light of recent
escalating provocative actions in the buffer zone, I cannot
overstate the
importance of maintaining a calm situation throughout the whole island. To
this end,
I count on your support both through your Government and the
British contingents of UNFICYP,
in order to avoid a deterioration of the
situation which would also negatively affect the prospect of resuming
negotiations.
What I would like to yet again underline in
the strongest manner is our sincere commitment to reach a viable, lasting and
functional settlement on the Cyprus Problem, in line with the UN Council
Resolutions and the values and principles of the EU. Although it is with deep regret that we
will
lose a close and valued partner within the Union, a decision by the
British people that we fully respect, there is no doubt that we are now
entering a new phase in our partnership.
In this regard, I wish to stress in the
strongest manner that my Government and I remain committed to build upon our
dynamic and constantly growing relations in new areas of collaboration and
expand the traditional links shared between Cyprus and the UK. This is after
all the natural path in the evolution of the deeply rooted relationship
between our two countries.
At the same time, being an active member of
the Commonwealth I wish to assure of our determination
in implementing our
joint agenda, especially in increasingly important challenges, such as:
climate
change, sustainable development, research and innovation, protection
of cultural heritage and of the environment.
In closing, I wish to thank, once again,
High Commissioner and Mrs Lillie for the invitation to join
your celebrations
and for the warm hospitality.
I kindly ask you all to raise your glass
for a toast to the health and happiness of Her Majesty the
Queen, to the progress and prosperity of the people of UK and to the
strong friendship between our
two countries.
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