Before I begin, allow me,
please, to convey, along with his remarks, the apologies of the President, as
other extraordinary commitments prevented him from being with us today.
It is a great honour for the
Republic of Cyprus and its citizens to be hosting, here in Cyprus, the third
Convention of the Israel-Hellenic Forum. Convened for the first time in 2019
in Jerusalem, and then reconvened in 2022 in Athens, it has now become a
successful institution, that brings together academics, intellectuals,
diplomats, analysts and other public figures from Israel, Greece and Cyprus,
thus combining both the theoretical and practical perspectives.
Undoubtedly, this forum
constitutes another tangible manifestation of the strong and long-lasting
trilateral cooperation between Israel, Greece and Cyprus. A cooperation,
which is firmly based on solid foundations, on common principles and values
and of course a common vision for our region.
Our trilateral cooperation has
evolved considerably, since its inception, and we can proudly say that it is
nothing else but a strategic partnership. A partnership that touches upon an
array of fields, including, inter alia, energy, defence, crisis management
and emergency response, cyber security, research and innovation, business,
tourism and of course people to people contacts, including our vibrant
diasporas.
Undoubtedly, an important
development of our cooperation is its expansion within the framework of 3+1
scheme, with the participation of the USA. A development that showcases in
practice the prospect that this cooperation has, for the benefit of the
region and beyond.
For the Republic of Cyprus, the
strengthening and deepening of our already excellent relations with Israel,
always in cooperation with Greece of course, is part of a holistic strategy
with regards to our foreign policy, which is high on the agenda the
cooperation with all like-minded countries in our region.
The Eastern Mediterranean
region is adjacent to a region which, until recently at least, more often
than not, had been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Turmoil,
asymmetric threats of terrorism, religious extremism and exercise of force by
some of our neighbors are only some of the challenges often troubling our
region.
Concurrently, though, it is a
fascinating region abundant in potential opportunities, mainly deriving from
its important geostrategic perspective location. Opportunities that can only
be unleashed through cooperation, rather than conflict. It is our strong
believe that the development of synergies in a spirit of mutual understanding
and collaboration, and always by fully complying with the rules of
international law, including the law of the sea, and the principles of good
neighborliness, is a prerequisite for a conducive environment, in which peace
and security in the region will prevail. Only in this way will we be able to
transform the Eastern Mediterranean, from an area of challenges into an area
of cooperation and coexistence, and in this direction we are working closely
together with Greece and Israel and other countries in the region.
As I mentioned above, geography
is the competitive advantage of the Eastern Mediterranean, especially in
conjunction with the EU member state status of Cyprus and Greece, which can
act as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East.
Α comparative advantage,
that will be further enhanced through reaching a comprehensive and
sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem, within the framework of the
agreed basis under the UN. A solution that will reunify Cyprus and its people,
by transforming the Republic of Cyprus to a bizonal bicommunal federal state.
This is the greatest goal and the highest priority of my administration and
for which I assure you that I will work tirelessly. I am fully aware of the
difficulties of this endeavour. I have the strong conviction, however, that
the upgrading of the status of the Republic of Cyprus at the regional,
European and international level is the most effective reinforcing factor in
our efforts to achieve that. And the further strengthening of cooperation
with Greece and Israel at the governmental level, but also with initiatives
like yours, play an important role in this direction.
To conclude, I would like once
again to wholeheartedly congratulate you all for conceiving and sustaining
this great initiative. Special congratulations to my dear friend, Professor
Andreas Theofanous, and the team of the Cyprus Center for European and
International Affairs for putting all this effort to organise this particular
three-day forum. I have observed with satisfaction that the agenda of the
forum covers a wide range of issues, such as regional and energy cooperation,
Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue, as well as regional and
international development. Undoubtedly, you have two busy days, full of
interesting discussions ahead of you. I sincerely wish you a productive
forum, so that you can subsequently feed us with your input which is always
useful.
__________
Note: The speech was delivered
by the Government Spokesman, Mr Konstantinos Letymbiotis.
(RM/NG/SCH)
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