President welcomes new Ambassadors, speaks about Cyprus solution-MidEast crisis (pics)

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has received the credentials of four Ambassadors and a High Commissioner and spoke about the Cyprus solution, bilateral relations, and the Middle East crisis, with a focus on Cyprus' proposal for aid to Gaza.

More specifically, the President on 6 November received the credentials of Jagath Wellawatte, High Commissioner-designate of Sri Lanka to the Republic of Cyprus, and the Ambassadors of Nepal, Colombia, Denmark, and Andorra, Kanta Rizal, Dr Ligia Margarita Quessep Bitar, Per Fabricius Andersen, and Gemma Cano Berne respectively.

The President noted that terrorism is a common threat to humanity that under no circumstances can be justified, pointing out that Hamas absolutely does not represent all Palestinian people nor the Palestinian cause.

He added that Israel’s right to self-defence needs to be exercised in line with international law and international humanitarian law and that the protection of the civilian population is a basic component of humanitarian law and, as such, it needs to be respected and safeguarded.

The President said that since the crisis Cyprus "has evacuated more than a thousand people from 37 countries through the airports and ports of the Republic, while continuing to provide a safe haven for our partners wishing to evacuate their citizens."

Regarding the proposal for  humanitarian aid to Gaza he said that "we are encouraged by the received positive reaction to this initiative by regional leaders, the EU as well as by other stakeholders and international organisations and we continue working towards its implementation." 

Referring to the Cyprus Problem, the President noted that the status quo in Cyprus is not a viable option, neither for our island and all Cypriots nor for any actor with an interest in the security and stability of this region.

He reiterated his commitment towards reaching a comprehensive, just, and viable settlement, which must include the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus into a functional federal state, where all citizens live in conditions of security and understanding, without occupying troops and obsolete external dependencies. The solution, he added, must also be in line with the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, the EU acquis, and European principles and values.

He emphasised once again "the great necessity for the appointment of an UN Envoy, who could provide critical support in the search for common ground with the goal of returning to formal negotiations."

President Christodoulides called on Turkey to diverge from its unacceptable position of a “two states” solution and for “sovereign equality.” He said that ongoing Turkish efforts to promote the recognition of the secessionist entity in the occupied part of the Republic of Cyprus must be condemned.

He also noted that such outrageous demands not only disregard and contravene international legality, but also undermine the basic principles of international law, including the respect of sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and inviolability of borders of all states.

The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Jagath Wellawatte said in his address that Cyprus is an attractive destination for Sri Lankan migrant workers and expressed his belief that the labour relations between the two countries could be strengthened through a bilateral agreement for the mutual benefit of both countries.

The Nepalese Ambassador Kanta Rizal said that though there have been limited bilateral activities and also people-to people contact between two countries, there is tremendous potential to increase cooperation in the fields of education, employment, tourism, trade, and commerce for the benefit of both the countries.

The new Ambassador of Colombia Dr Ligia Margarita Quessep Bitar said that both the Mediterranean Sea and the Americas have become a crossing point for a large number of human beings, who, in many cases are victims of human smuggling adding that both countries are recognised as allies to overcome these crises and this is reflected in the mutual support of international organisations.

The Ambassador of Denmark Per Fabricius Andersen said that very recently his country valued the excellent assistance and support it received from Cyprus in connection with the evacuation of Danish nationals from Israel and Palestine. He added that Cyprus is also very constructively assisting in the planning of possible future evacuations of Danish nationals from the Middle East region.

The Ambassador of Andorra Gemma Cano Berne said that her country seeks to strengthen the bilateral relations, mainly in the economic and cultural fields. She also said that Andorra is currently negotiating an association agreement with the European Union and hopes to reach the best text possible by December 2024 during the Spanish presidency and hopes to count on the support of the Cypriot Government in this process.

(Source: CNA)