President Demetris Christofias has expressed the gratitude of the people of Cyprus for the unwavering and principled position of Kenya as regards the Cyprus problem, and for its support to their efforts in international organizations.

In a toast at the official dinner in honour of Vice President and Minister for Home Affairs of Kenya, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, President Christofias said his presence in Cyprus, in the context of his first official visit, will be an important step towards strengthening relations between the two countries.

Welcoming the Vice President, his spouse and the delegation to Cyprus, President Christofias said VP Musyoka had studied in Nicosia and has spent his student years on the island. It should be recalled that the ties between our two countries, said Christofias, “date back to the time before our independence, commencing with the relationship that was developed between the historic leaders of both our countries, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and Archbishop Makarios. Since then, our fraternal relations remain solid”.

Your visit to Cyprus, said President Christofias, “gives us the opportunity to reaffirm and strengthen the bonds of friendship between our people and our states and further promote the deepening of our bilateral relations in all fields. The presence of businessmen from Kenya highlights the potential for cooperation in the trade and economic fields, of which we should take advantage”.

President Christofias said that in recent years, friendship groups in our countries’ parliaments have been established and the Republic of Cyprus offers a number of scholarships to Kenyans on an annual basis.

He noted the 52 year old presence in Kenya of the Orthodox Archbishopric which was founded by Archbishop Makarios and currently operated by the Metropolitan of Kenya Makarios, who honours us with his presence today. The work of the Orthodox Metropolis of Kenya, which operates the only Seminary under the Patriarchate of Alexandria in Africa, as well as the Educational Institute, is remarkable, he said.

Humanitarian assistance from Cyprus, said President Christofias, is offered directly to the people of Kenya, mainly through the Orthodox Metropolis of Kenya. Help is also offered by various institutions and volunteers, professionals and ordinary citizens of Cyprus. This, he said, “is proof of the historical and traditional ties between the two countries. Cyprus’ donations are also important, as they are in line with EU policy towards the countries of Africa and in the framework of the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals”.

Christofias said Kenya receives aid from the European Union, mainly for support of rural development and the strengthening of the road networks. Kenya wishes to reach an Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU, which we also encourage, particularly because of the economic importance of its agricultural exports to Brussels. “We believe in this goal and during Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the European Union, during the second half of 2012, we will work towards this end”, he added.

President Christofias expressed the “gratitude of the people of Cyprus for the unwavering and principled position of Kenya as regards the Cyprus problem, and for its support of our efforts in international organizations”.

He stressed “that the Greek Cypriot side attends the talks with a positive attitude and makes constructive proposals at the talks, despite the difficulties which the Turkish side generates and despite the threats of Turkey and the continued illegal occupation of 37% of our territory and colonization of by Turkey”.

“I hope that we can realize the reunification of Cyprus within the framework of a viable and functional solution, and that can reunify the country, its people, its institutions and economy based on the principles of international law and on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, with political equality as stated in the relevant resolutions of UN Security Council,” he said.

This, he added, is the only solution that will create a better future for ourselves and for our children. Partition is a disaster for the people of Cyprus; it is a disaster for both Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots, he pointed out.

“We urge the Turkish Cypriot leader to work on the agreed basis of the talks. We call on the Turkish side to demonstrate, through actions that it is working towards the reunification of Cyprus and that it wants to bridge, instead of maintaining and expanding, with the proposals which it submits, the gap observed at the talks between the two sides”.

President Christofias also called on “Turkey to cease its provocative and aggressive behaviour as a result of our hydrocarbon exploration in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone”.

Concluding, he said “we will continue to counter Turkey’s negativity through our intensive international campaign for support as well as the Turkish side’s negative stance at the negotiating table by defending basic principles, as well as good will and flexibility”.

Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

Following a decision by Nicosia to begin natural gas and oil exploration in its exclusive economic zone, Ankara has deployed warships in the Eastern Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.

Peace talks are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that will reunify the country, under a federal roof.