N. Anastasiadis: The demands of the Turkish side for changing the agreed solution base are unacceptable

I take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude and appreciation that we personally and the Cypriot people have for the attitude of the Georgian authorities in the Cyprus issue, said the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis, after his meeting today at the Presidential Palace with The President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili, who is paying the first official visit of the President of Georgia to the island in Cyprus.

Today, President Zurabishvili was officially welcomed by President Anastasiadis, while an honorary procession paid tribute. This was followed by the rebuttal of the national anthems of the two countries and then the President of Georgia laid a wreath at the statue of Ethnarch Makarios III.

A private meeting of the two Presidents followed, during which President Anastasiadis said, among other things, that the two countries share common goals for peace, security and stability in the world.

The two Presidents were then awarded medals on both sides. President Anastasiadis awarded the President of Georgia the Grand Necklace of the Order of Makarios III. For her part, President Zurabishvili awarded the President of the Republic the Medal of the Golden Fleece Order of Georgia.

Enlarged talks followed between the delegations of the two countries. The Cypriot delegation was attended by Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis, government spokesman Marios Pelekanos, Foreign Ministry Director General Cornelius Cornelius, the Ambassador of the Republic to Georgia based in Athens Kyriakos Keneroulafos and Deputy Director Gra.

The two Presidents then made statements to the media.

In his statements, the President of the Republic said that “it is a special pleasure and honor to welcome you, friend President Salome Zurabishvili, giving me the opportunity to reciprocate the warm hospitality reserved for him and the delegation that accompanied me during the visit. in Tbilisi in April 2019.

A visit that was characterized as historic, as it was the first official visit of the Cypriot President to Georgia, being an important milestone in the joint efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries at bilateral and multilateral level.

Like, of course, your visit, friend President, is historic, as in turn it is the first visit of the President of Georgia to Cyprus.

Cyprus and Georgia enjoy a long-standing and excellent relationship, based on historical, cultural and religious ties.

It is characteristic that the Georgian community was one of the oldest orthodox communities that visited the island, with the Monastery of Panagia Chrysogialiotissa founded in the 10th century, to witness a dynamic center for the development of Georgian culture.

It is in this context and appreciating the maximum and from the dynamic presence of the active Georgian community, which numbers over 2,000 citizens, that the government granted to the Patriarchate of Georgia free land surrounding the archaeological site of the Monastery, with the aim of erecting Orthodox monastic complex and the performance of religious duties of the community.

During today’s meeting with my friend the President, in addition to reviewing the level of bilateral relations between the two countries, we exchanged views on ways to further deepen the institutional framework of cooperation, where the common position was to speed up the completion of a series of Agreements and Memoranda of Cooperation. :

(a) Political consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs;

(b) Circular migration,

(c) Mutual recognition of academic qualifications, and,

(d) The fight against organized crime.

These were in addition to the three agreements already signed during my visit to Georgia.

At the same time, we highlighted the need, through the competent bodies and the utilization of the Cyprus-Georgia Business Association, to take coordinated initiatives to develop a closer economic, trade and investment cooperation between the business world of the two countries.

My President and I also had the opportunity to exchange views on a wide range of issues of common interest, such as the worrying developments in the South Caucasus, especially after the recent events in Nagorno-Karabakh, but also on security issues in the Black Sea region. Sea.

We also discussed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, as it is shaped by the recent events in Iraq, the upcoming elections in Libya, but also the continuing instability in Syria and Lebanon.

I had the opportunity to brief on the initiatives that Cyprus is taking at the tripartite and multilateral levels, with the aim of building cooperation mechanisms to achieve security, stability and peace in the wider region, based on respect for international law and good neighborly relations.

My friend and I also exchanged views on Georgia’s relations with the European Union, in view of the Eastern Partnership Summit scheduled for next December.

I reiterated the full support given by the Republic of Cyprus to the efforts to deepen the economic and political cooperation between Tbilisi and Brussels, as well as to the other partners of the Eastern Partnership, in the framework of a uniform and balanced approach.

As expected, I was briefed by the President on Georgia’s concerns and briefed the President of Georgia on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue and the unacceptable demands of the Turkish side to change the agreed solution basis, contrary to the high-level agreements. the resolutions and decisions of the UN Security Council and the terms of reference of the Secretary-General.

In the context of the briefing, I also referred to the illegal actions of Turkey in the enclosed city of Famagusta aimed at creating new ones on the ground, the violations in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus but also the ongoing militarization of the island with the concession of to Greek Cypriots, to the Turkish army.

I also referred to the instrumentalization, unfortunately, of refugees for demographic change and the areas controlled by the Republic of Cyprus.

I take this opportunity, President, to express our deep gratitude and appreciation for both ourselves and the Cypriot people for the attitude of the Georgian authorities in the Cyprus issue. An attitude that is dictated by international law and dictates not only to you but also to us towards you, that is why I want to assure you that Cyprus adheres and will continue to adhere to the same principles regarding your national problem, strongly supporting and the need for a positive outcome to the Geneva International Talks, which will thus lead to a comprehensive and peaceful settlement of the problem facing Georgia.

Welcoming you once again, I would like to express my full satisfaction with the constructive and creative discussions we have had, which I hope will further strengthen our excellent relations to date. ”

For her part, the President of Georgia, speaking through an interpreter, said, among other things, that with Cyprus “we have very good relations” and referred to the successful visit of President Anastasiadis to Georgia, noting that the visits from both sides prove the will of both countries to further strengthen their relations in all areas.

“Our countries have a common history, religion and common difficult problems that we are trying to solve and together we find the strength to solve them,” he said. He also expressed the appreciation of both the State and the Church of Georgia to Cyprus for the concession of land for the construction of a monastery on the site of a Georgian monastery in the 10th century. “This is a symbolic step. We have experienced land being taken away from us, not donated to us. I hope this will be a milestone in a new era and we will see more land being returned to the countries where they belong,” the president said.

He praised the attitude of the Cypriot authorities to Georgia’s sovereignty, adding that his country has always supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus on the basis of UN resolutions and the European acquis, something that everyone should do, he said.

Referring to EU-Georgia relations, President Zurabishvili said it was important to support Cyprus as a member state of the Union.

She also expressed her country’s willingness to participate in energy and other mechanisms.

Finally, he referred to the good relations between the two peoples, but also to the hospitality found by the Georgians living in Cyprus and noted that next year we will celebrate the 30 years of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Georgia and that events should be held in both countries for these celebrations.