The Minister of National Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos pays an official visit to Cyprus.
Mr. Avramopoulos met tonight with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, in the Presidential Palace. They discussed the whole range of Greek-Cypriot issues. He also met the Minister of Defence, Photis Photiou, in the Ministry of Defence, as well as the Archbishop of Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, in the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus.
On the conclusion of his meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, they addressed the following statements:
P. PHOTIOU: I am very delighted to welcome the friend and Minister of National Defence of Greece, Dimitris Avramopoulos, to Cyprus. I thank him because he immediately accepted our invitation to attend the celebrations for the Independence Day of the Republic of Cyprus and this is definitely a special honour for our country.
His official visit to our island takes place in a critical time period. The great shifts related to the preparation for resuming the negotiations for the solution of the Cypriot problem, as well as the unprecedented geopolitical and geostrategic developments in this region, favour the readjustment of the common strategy to promote our national issues. Of course, on the top of the agenda was also the issue of our accession to “Partnership for Peace”, as well as next December’s European council. These were the key issues we had the opportunity to talk about in our private meeting.
The situation has changed and we must be prepared to face any new challenges cooperatively. The gas resources detected in the Levantine Sea which probably extend also within the Greek EEZ, as well as the political changes and developments in Middle East create opportunities which we must utilise to be able to face successfully the recession and financial crisis that largely affect Greece and Cyprus. At the same time, we must work in compliance with the principles of the International Law to solve our national problem and reunify our country.
At this point, I want to stress that we will not compromise our basic principles on national matters. We will not relinquish our inalienable right to exercise freely our sovereign rights. We work to find a fair solution without ignoring Turkey’s recent threats, as well as its intentions as they have been announced by Turkish officials. We salute actions which aim at building confidence between both sides. However, we evaluate all aspects and, at present, the reinforcement and readjustment of our bilateral planning on defence and energy security issues, as well as the intensification of energy diplomacy with third countries are greatly important and imperative.
The action we have taken aims exactly at avoiding tension and create a spirit of cooperation and confidence in our region. We try, in cooperation with Greece and other friendly countries that have interests in our EEZ, to create a shield for both deterrence and stability in Eastern Mediterranean. It is not accidental that international agents, among which are also powerful countries of the UN Security Council, recognise the upgraded role that Cyprus plays in the region’s stability.
Dimitris Avramopoulos, a friend and National Defence Minister, is present here to attend the official celebrations for our Cyprus’ Independence, representing the Hellenic Republic and this proves the constant and exclusive interest of the nation in the fair struggle Cyprus conducts for survival. It accentuates the strong constant ties, as well as Greece’s will to assist the forthcoming negotiation talks for attaining a peaceful, functional, fair and viable solution of the Cypriot issue.
I would like to express the gratitude of the Cypriot state for the disinterested support from the brotherly Greek people who, despite experiencing a dire financial situation, are prepared to support actively our efforts for liberation and deliverance from Turkish occupation troops. Moreover, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the Greek government whose positive and active involvement already supports the forthcoming dialogue for the achievement of a sustainable solution to Cypriot problem.
D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I feel a special joy every time I visit Cyprus. And I feel it today too, as I am here again, at this time as Minister of National Defence. This visit is special to me since it is marked by the independence anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus which we will all celebrate tomorrow. It takes place, though, under totally different circumstances. Greece and Cyprus face a difficult financial situation.
At the same time, almost everything changes in our wider region. A new geopolitical situation has been formed. The situations that arise are volatile, uncertain and dangerous and, as the Defence minister of Cyprus properly noticed, these situations indicate the new powerful geopolitical role of Greece and Cyprus in the name of international legitimacy, stability and peace in the region.
My good friend, Cyprus’ Defence Minister, and I had the opportunity to discuss many issues during our previous talks. He mentioned many of them earlier. We discussed about the whole range of bilateral relations between Greece and Cyprus in the field of defence, as well as our country’s relations as European Union partners in general.
We paid special attention to the part that regards the common security and defence policy and, certainly, the relations between the Republic of Cyprus and NATO. Greece, as NATO member, supports the suggestion made by the President of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, for Cyprus’ accession to Partnership for Peace, and will definitely support Cyprus in this effort.
Furthermore, this accession will reinforce the Partnership’s presence in the region, at a time of high volatility and insecurity because of the developments.
It is needless to say that our bilateral relations are exemplary from both sides. They are based on our common History, our common origins, our common civilisation and our common language. Cyprus and Greece were and always are close to each other.
Cyprus is not alone at this time, under these difficult circumstances that have arisen. It has Greece and the Greek people at its side. And we will keep our common struggle to achieve the final goal which is, above all, a fair solution to the Cypriot problem and the reunification of the island; so that the day, when we will celebrate, my dear friend, Minister, Photis, the island’s independence, with the island, though, unified and where both communities will exercise equally their right to life and dream, will not be far off.
Because our goal is to create a new peaceful environment between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and this guides our policies. At a time when we are going through a period of violent turbulence in our wider region, the Republic of Cyprus assumes an augmented, an enhanced role, which thus upgrades, as in the case of Greece, its geostrategic and geopolitical role. What, of course, is important today for Cyprus is to deal with the financial crisis, as well as the conclusion of negotiations which will be conducted for the solution to the Cypriot issue.
Greece supports Cyprus’ sovereign rights over the Exclusive Economic Zone and its initiative to define sea zones among Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
As you may know, as of January 1, 2014, Greece assumes the presidency of the European Union. It is a presidency which we expect to be successful, as was the Cypriot presidency of the European Union. We will fight together for the common security and defence policy as well as for the reinforcement of EU’s military capabilities which are fields of high priority for Cyprus.
Minister, my dear friend,
My presence here today, as you correctly stressed before, demonstrates the strong ties of solidarity, brotherly relations among Greek people in Greece and Cyprus.
There are still many difficulties to come. But let us not forget that Greek people went through much more difficult times in the past and they have survived. And at the end of this hard course it is sure that we will see our common dream of an independent, indivisible, powerful and unified Cyprus within an environment of certainty, security and cooperation for all the peoples of this region, coming true.
I wish it from the depths of my heart and this will be the message and the wish we will send tomorrow at this great moment for the Republic of Cyprus.
Thank you again for your hospitality. Let’s remind to our journalist friends that the initial invitation was to celebrate the Independence Day together, but we combined it with some more work today. This is why before we held those important meetings that brought us closer again, continuing our already very good cooperation we started with Mr. Photiou since the very first day he assumed his duties.
I wish he comes to Greece soon. I extended him an invitation, if his schedule allows it, to come with us tomorrow and attend one of the biggest exercises to be conducted in Greece, in Evros and on the islands, the “Parmenion” exercise. There, Greece will prove once more that, despite the crisis, it has one of the most powerful and reliable defence systems in Europe. And this is always ready to serve the country, to serve our common fights and definitely to serve peace, security and stability in our wider region.
Thank you again for our cooperation and I wish all the best to our Cyprus.