The foundations for the strategic and regional partnership between Greece, Cyprus and Jordan were set during Tuesday’s trilateral summit in Nicosia.
Following the expanded talks the leaders of the three countries had with delegations, Nicos Anastasiades, Alexis Tsipras and King Abdullah II made statements to the press. A number of agreements were signed at the end of the statements.
President Anastasiades said today’s trilateral summit reconfirmed the excellent relations and bonds of friendship between the three countries and sets the foundations for strategic and regional partnership for political, economic and social benefits for all three countries.
He described as important the declaration signed for the cooperation of the three countries in the fields of security, peace and prosperity adding that today’s talks were constructive and will help in further promoting relations and the tripartite partnership.
“The declaration reflects the common understanding of the three countries that cooperation can contribute to handling the challenges in the wider region and peace, security and stability as well as prosperity”, the President remarked.
Today’s first trilateral meeting, he said, takes place at a critical time for the wider Middle East region.
One of the most important challenges we are asked to handle, he added, is fighting terrorism, a phenomenon that requires the close cooperation of the three countries. President Anastasiades welcomed the Aqaba Process initiated by King Abdullah which, he said, “undoubtedly contributes to strengthening the chances of effectively fighting terrorism in the region.”
He assured of Cyprus and Greece’s support in the EU to promote partnership with Jordan and congratulated the country for its humanitarian work since it hosts a large number of refugees, noting it must be further supported by the EU.
President Anastasiades said, “we fully appreciate the serious repercussions that the conflict in Syria has had on Jordan. Cyprus congratulates Jordan for its admirable political responsibility and its humanitarian understanding”, adding that Cyprus was one of the first countries during the discussions at the EU that underlined the need to provide tangible and strong assistance to countries that are close to Syria, and especially Jordan.
He also said that despite the fact that the Conference on Cyprus at Crans Montana did not yield the desired results due to the anachronistic positions and Turkish insistence to maintain guarantees and intervention rights, “I underlined that our side remains committed to continuing the negotiations to achieve an overall solution” that will secure the territorial integrity, independence and reunification of Cyprus.
King of Jordan Abdullah said today “marks the launch of what we hope will develop into a fruitful trilateral partnership with benefits for our peoples and our wider region”.
He said it is no secret that we live in a very tough neighbourhood, noting that it also provides challenges also and opportunities that must be capitalised on.
The King said “we in Jordan are committed to cooperate in such vital fields as energy, water, agriculture, tourism and moreover the agreements we are signing today will undoubtedly help us advance our ties even further. Creating partnerships between the private sectors of our three countries in these policy fields will provide jobs and opportunities for our peoples and benefit our region by ensuring peace and prosperity and synergies”.
The King said that during the trilateral summit, they agreed ways to promote partnership with the EU, adding “we look forward to working with Cyprus and Greece to benefit from the EU, .. to enhance our national industries and increase our exports to Europe”.
Turning to the problems in the region, King Abdullah said that “it is no secret that we live in a very tough neighbourhood, rife with challenges but also opportunities. And together our chances of capitalizing on these opportunities and taking on these challenges increase tenfold”.
He also said that discussions today covered key global and regional issues, noting that “Jordan continues to support the efforts of the government of the Republic of Cyprus to reach a comprehensive, just, lasting and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and international law”.
As for the Middle East, King Abdullah said “there can be no peace; nor can there be stability without a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and Jerusalem is key to resolving it”.
He added that the “issue of Jerusalem must be settled within a comprehensive peace agreement based on the two-state solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel. No unilateral decision on Jerusalem will change the legal and historical facts or undermine the rights of Muslims and Christians to the holy city”.
The Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites is a religious and historical responsibility that Jordan remains fully committed to, he said. “But the whole world has a vested interest in the responsibility towards Jerusalem and the Palestinian issue; we all have a stake in reaching peace, and avoiding the consequences of further escalation. And here, the European Union can contribute to efforts to bring Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiating table” the King added.
“Jordan, Cyprus, and Greece are also committed to fighting the global terrorist and extremist threat within a holistic approach. To that end, Jordan, through the Aqaba Meetings, has been working to bring allies and stakeholders together to discuss how coordination can be improved to close off all avenues to terrorists and extremists around the world. And I, again, want to thank the role of Cyprus in this process”, he said.
The Jordan King said the “victories achieved in Iraq against terrorism and the gains in Syria mark substantial progress in this fight; however, terrorist groups cannot be allowed to regroup and establish footholds elsewhere. For Syria, we affirm the importance of building on the Astana talks to reach a political solution through the Geneva process that maintains the country’s territorial integrity and fulfils the aspirations of the Syrian people.”
And in the meantime, the plight of Syrian refugees remains an international concern, and host countries like Jordan need the world’s support, he remarked. “We are shouldering an immense refugee burden and cannot be left alone as we undertake this humanitarian responsibility on behalf of the world.”
Concluding, he said these are some of the issues that “our countries will work closely on as we build this trilateral partnership, and we look forward to expanding on what has been agreed to today”.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that today they launched an excellent initiative to handle the challenges but also the opportunities in Eastern Mediterranean.
He said that the trilateral partnership should have a strategic prospect and for this reason it must be based on strong foundations.
He also said that Jordan, which hosts 1.5 million refugees needs to be further assisted by the EU while Cyprus and Greece are in the frontline of the EU member states when dealing with refugees.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, Tsipras said “we underlined the significance for a just, viable solution on the basis of UN decisions and Cyprus’ status as EU member state”, adding that a solution should be without guarantees and occupation troops.
“Turkey should reconfirm its real commitment for a peaceful solution within the framework and parameters set by the UN”, he concluded.
