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Your Royal Highnesses, High
Commissioner,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to begin by extending
a warm welcome to Cyprus, to their Royal Highnesses, the Earl and Countess of
Wessex, Prince Edward and Countess Sophie.
I have no doubt that your visit
will be pleasant but most importantly productive, in contributing to further
advancing the historic ties of friendship between Cyprus and the United
Kingdom. To this end, I look forward to the meeting we will hold tomorrow
that will allow us to discuss the broad range of issues that bind our peoples
and countries together.
Your Royal Highnesses,
Excellencies, High Commissioner,
I am most grateful for your
kind invitation to join you in celebration of the Her Majesty’s Queen
Elizabeth the Second Platinum Jubilee, following 70 years of her historic
reign, dedicated leadership and service to the people of the United Kingdom,
the Realms and the Commonwealth.
An event which also provides us
with the opportunity to reflect upon the excellent and enduring bonds between
our countries, our strong people-to-people contacts and our mutually
beneficial and multilateral co-operation on numerous issues of common
interest.
Cyprus is particularly proud of
our diaspora permanently residing in the UK, constituting the largest Cypriot
community overseas, with many Cypriots receiving honours by Her Majesty the
Queen for their services in fields such as education, arts, culture, science
and business.
At the same time, the UK is one
of the most favorite academic destinations to thousands of our students,
while Cyprus is home to thousands of Britons and one of the most preferred
tourist destinations for hundreds of thousands of tourists from the United
Kingdom.
Moreover, it is a well-known
fact that our relationship extends far beyond the above-mentioned areas and
covers a wide spectrum of policy areas, with our economic, trade, business
and investment relationship constituting a fundamental pillar of our partnership.
A partnership which continues
to expand as most evident by last month’s historic and groundbreaking
agreement that will enable thousands of Cypriots to develop, for the first
time, their properties in the British base areas, with multiple benefits to
the economy and the society at an especially difficult economic period.
An agreement which concluded
the relevant understanding I reached in 2014 with the then Prime Minister
David Cameron, as an apt proof of our willingness to establish an even
closer, stronger and deeper relationship between our countries.
On the political and diplomatic
fields, our synergies have also been characterized as one of constant
evolution, based on various collaborations on a wide range of issues, both
bilaterally and multilaterally, including within the EU up until Brexit, but,
particularly within the Commonwealth.
And having referred to the
Commonwealth, I wish to congratulate the UK for its long-standing leadership
and to wish every success at the upcoming meeting of the Commonwealth Heads
of Government Meeting at Rwanda, during which I will be represented by the
Minister of Foreign Affairs since I will be attending the European Council
taking place at the same time.
In closing, I wish to thank
once more the High Commissioner for the invitation to join your celebrations
and for your warm hospitality.
I kindly ask you all to raise
your glasses for a toast to the health and happiness of Her Majesty the Queen
and the members of the Royal Family, to the progress and prosperity of the
people of the United Kingdom and to the strong friendship between our two
countries.
(RM/EK)
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