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Statements
by the President of the Republic and the President of the Italian Republic
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The President of the Republic,
Mr Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the Italian Republic, Mr
Sergio Mattarella, reaffirmed today their common will to further strengthen
the already excellent relations between Cyprus and Italy, in the framework of
their statements to the media, following their meeting this afternoon at the
Presidential Palace. During their joint statements, in the framework of the first official visit of an Italian President to the Republic of Cyprus, President Christodoulides said that this first visit of the President of Italy to Cyprus is historic, adding that "it is an indication of the mutual desire to strengthen the already close relations. Cyprus and Italy have been
linked since ancient times through a common historical tradition, through the
cultural exchanges between our peoples and of course through our common home,
the Mediterranean Sea. Our historical relations are highlighted in many
archaeological sites in Cyprus, one of which, the Roman mosaics of Pafos, my
homeland, which we will have the opportunity to visit tomorrow with President
Mattarella. Our countries cooperate closely
bilaterally, as well as within the European Union (EU), and I am particularly
pleased that President Mattarella's visit coincides with the 20th anniversary
of our accession to the EU, which for us is the most important success for
our country. Cyprus and Italy also cooperate
in the context of the nine Mediterranean EU Member States, as well as on the
issue of migration in the context of the five Mediterranean Member States in
particular. "Today we had a very
productive meeting with the Italian President, where we discussed, among
other things, our bilateral relations. We emphasized on areas where our
cooperation is very close, such as Energy, where the Italian ENI is active in
a large number of blocks of the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and we
even had the positive completion of the drilling evaluation in the ''Kronos
2'' reservoir recently. At the same time, we discussed
ways to further strengthen our cooperation on Defence and Security issues, as
well as Culture. As regards Defence, there is
already close cooperation with joint exercises and trainings, also with other
countries such as Greece and France. There is a very important annual
exercise for the need to ensure security conditions and cooperation in the Eastern
Mediterranean. In the field of Culture, it is
our common desire to deepen our cooperation through the signing of a
Memorandum that will institutionalise cooperation between the two countries. I publicly thank the Italian
Government, the Italian Authorities for the cooperation with our competent
Services very recently, for the repatriation of antiquities of Cypriot origin
that were found in Italy. Of course, today we could not
fail to discuss the Cyprus problem and Euro-Turkish issues, which are
interrelated, also taking into account that this year is another anniversary
for the Republic of Cyprus, a sad anniversary, since it marks 50 years since the
Turkish invasion and the continued occupation of European territory, the
territory of an EU member state. In this context, I conveyed to
the Italian President – with whom we will shortly visit the ceasefire line –
my readiness and determination to make every possible effort to resume the
talks to resolve the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework.
This is another area where the EU can play a decisive role, taking into
account both the tools at its disposal and the need to further strengthen
Turkey's relations with the EU. We also discussed Migration, a
huge challenge for both countries. We note with interest the Italian
initiatives on this issue and we agree with the Italian approach to tackle
the root causes of the phenomenon, but also the need for collective action on
the part of the EU and the importance of starting to discuss within the EU
some issues that until now and for many years, unfortunately, we have not
discussed, such as the issue of Syria. This year also marks two years
since the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. From the very beginning, the
Republic of Cyprus has been on the right side of history, in favour of
respect for international law, territorial integrity and the sovereignty of
all states. And we welcomed the fact that
at EU level there is this common approach. We couldn't not discuss
developments in our region, in Gaza and in Israel, as Mediterranean countries
that are adjacent to the region. We are watching these
developments with great concern. On behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, the
Member State directly adjacent to the region, which maintains excellent
relations with all neighbouring states, I expressed the need for an end to
hostilities and the start of a political process, on the basis of a two-state
solution, as the only option for a final resolution of the conflict. On this issue, the Italian
President and I agreed on the need for the EU to play a more prominent role
in the developments, both in relation to the transfer of humanitarian aid and
the launch of the peace process. As a closing remark, I would
like once again to express my deep gratitude for your presence in Cyprus, for
your positive response to my invitation for the historic first visit of an
Italian President, a highly esteemed personality both in Italy and in Europe,
but also internationally. It is a great honour for our country that you are
with us today.” The Italian President, speaking
through an interpreter, said, inter alia: “I have vivid memories of your
visit to Rome and it was a great pleasure to accept your invitation”, and he
added: “We have witnessed the deep friendly ties between our countries. A
friendship dated back to antiquity.” The President of Italy also
said that “over the years the Cyprus-Italian relations have been strengthened
with strategically significant cooperations in the Energy sector, but also in
other areas in which we have an intense cooperation, both for Cyprus and for
the EU. I am referring to the Defence sector. Tomorrow I will also visit the
frigate Bergamini in Lemesos. I would like to thank Cyprus for its
willingness for cooperation. We also talked about the cultural cooperation in
the field of Archaeology and I am particularly delighted that tomorrow I will
visit the house of Dionysus in Pafos.” When he referred to Cyprus’s
accession to the EU, he said that this is an important milestone not only for
Cyprus but also for the EU. He added that they also
discussed the forthcoming cooperations of the EU, the enlargement and that
during their talks earlier they referred to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Regarding the Migration issue,
President Mattarella said that Italy and Cyprus are frontline countries,
adding that we have the duty and the capacity as the EU to transform a
chaotic situation of exploitation of human smuggling into a "coordinated
arrival in Europe, in accordance with the needs of the host countries, but
legally. In circumstances that require a common European policy, it is urgent
to define a new treaty on asylum. It is urgent that we define it promptly and
that we come to an agreement with the countries of origin of migratory flows,
and work together to improve the living conditions there.” He also referred to the common
principles and values of the two countries concerning respect for
international law. The President of Italy stressed
the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
each state and, referring to the Cyprus problem, he said: “This year marks a
sombre anniversary, the Cyprus problem must be finally resolved. It is fundamental
for the balance in the Mediterranean, not only for Cyprus, but for all the
Mediterranean countries, and I include the EU member states as well. He added that he expressed his
appreciation to President Christodoulides for his readiness to continue the
dialogue with Turkey for the resolution of the Cyprus problem, noting: “I
reiterated that Italy supports a bicommunal, bizonal solution on the basis of
United Nations (UN) resolutions, and we welcome the appointment of the
personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General, who has a difficult task ahead of
her, but is already actively involved in the efforts.” He also added that tomorrow he
will visit the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNIFICYP) and the
Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus (CMP). President Mattarella also said
that he and President Christodoulides discussed the situation in the Middle
East, noting that he expressed his appreciation for Cyprus's readiness to
become a base for transferring humanitarian aid to Gaza. "I share the need for a
ceasefire", said the President of the Republic of Italy, and he added
that it is "a situation that also poses a risk of other problems
breaking out". He also said that Italy is ready to support any
initiative for the purpose of providing humanitarian aid. Finally, he noted that in their
meeting the two Presidents found that Cyprus and Italy share the same views
and together they can "positively influence EU policies and
choices". Afterwards, the two Presidents
visited the Nicosia Town Hall, where they were welcomed by the mayor of the
city, Mr Constantinos Yiorkadjis, and then walked along the green line in the
old town. The two Presidents were
accompanied by President Christodoulides' spouse and President Mattarella's
daughter. (IA/MS/NG) |
