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Athens, 11 February 2021
We the Ministers of Cyprus,
Egypt and Greece, building upon prior consultations and regular coordination,
met in Athens on February 11, 2021, to continue dialogue and cooperation in
order to further reinforce our political and economic engagement, discuss regional
challenges send a clear and positive message that our region has the
potential to be transformed into an area of peace, stability and prosperity.
We concluded that the outcome
of this scheme of cooperation serves the common interest of our countries for
promoting prosperity in the region, having laid the foundation of a positive
agenda and we expressed our commitment to intensify coordination aiming at
exploring common opportunities for cooperation.
We welcome the advanced
preparations in setting up the Secretariat for the Trilateral Mechanisms
based in Nicosia, which will be operational in early spring 2021.
We further welcome the entry
into force of the Statute of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) on 1
March 2021 establishing the EMGF as a regional organization, based in Cairo,
open to all countries that share the same values and objectives and
willingness to cooperate for the security of the whole region and the welfare
of its peoples.
We agreed that, though Covid-19
is an unprecedented challenge, posing limitations to our efforts,
result-oriented exchanges, initiatives and joint actions in the fields of
energy, innovation, digital economy, civil protection and people to people
contacts should be further enhanced.
We reiterated our strong commitment
to International Law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea, the UN Charter and the principles enshrined therein as the
foundation of peace, security, good neighbourly relations and peaceful
resolution of disputes for all countries in the region.
On the Cyprus question,
we expressed our support towards the efforts of the United Nations
Secretary-General aimed at the resumption of a result-oriented negotiation
process under his auspices that will lead to a comprehensive settlement on
the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, in accordance with
International Law and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, in line with
the European acquis.
We emphasized also the
importance for the respect of the sovereignty, sovereign rights and
jurisdiction each State has over its maritime zones in accordance with
International Law, denouncing all activities that violate International Law.
We urged for the full and
consistent respect of the sovereignty and the sovereign rights of States in
their maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean in accordance with the
International Law, including UNCLOS.
With regard to the Middle East
Peace Process, we emphasize that the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict on the basis of the two-state solution is an indispensable
requirement to comprehensive peace and stability in the region, as well as
the importance of ensuring an independent and viable Palestinian state based
on the June 4, 1967 lines, living side-by-side in peace and security with
Israel. We stress the importance of preserving the composition, character and
status of the Palestinian territories, occupied in 1967 including East
Jerusalem, and we reiterate the call for the implementation of the UN
Security Council resolutions to immediately and completely cease all
settlement activities including in East Jerusalem.
We welcomed the agreement by
the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) on a transitional unified
executive authority for Libya, recognizing it as an important milestone in
the political process and a significant step toward ensuring credible
and all-inclusive elections to be held December 24th, 2021 and
that the transitional government and agreement shall cease to have effect
subsequently. In the same vein, we underlined the need for
effective implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, respect of the UN arms
embargo and full withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from the
country. We emphasize the importance of fully implementing the outcomes of
the Joint Military Committee 5+5 and particularly the departure of all
foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libyan territories. Firmly supporting a
Libyan led and owned political solution to the crisis, we consider any
foreign intervention as unacceptable and all agreements concluded in violation
of International Law as null and void and in particular call on the new
Libyan Government to consider the MOUs signed by Turkey and Faysal al-Sarraj
in November 2019 as such.
We reaffirmed our commitment to
the unity, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria,
expressing our unrelenting support for a lasting political settlement of the
Syrian crisis. In full accordance with UNSC Resolutions 2254 and reiterated
the imperative need for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from
the country.
We examined the possibilities
for further cooperation in all fields, affirming that priority should be
given to the regional cooperation and comprehensive developments, highly
facilitated by the current format.
EH/SCH
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