President of the Republic Demetris Christofias referred today to the policy now followed by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to upgrade the illegal entity of the puppet regime in the occupied North of Cyprus and to promote a two-state solution and noted that such actions are a threat not only vis-à-vis Cyprus, but also to regional peace and stability.

Christofias was speaking at formal ceremonies at the Presidential Palace, during which he received the credentials of the new Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, stationed in Athens, Saker Malkawi, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, stationed in Rome, August Parengkuan and the new Ambassador of the Republic of Angola, stationed in Athens, Isabel Mercedes Da Silva Feijó .

The President said that the direct talks between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot community, that commenced in September 2008 under UN auspices, “have not borne the fruits we expected”.

He noted that since May 2010, when Dervis Eroglu took over the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community, progress has stalled and there has been a serious setback in the negotiations, which climaxed with Eroglu’s decision to walk out of the talks on 29 March 2012, by unilaterally declaring that  meeting of the two leaders, as the last.

“Since then, talks at leaders-level have stopped. The new Turkish Cypriot leadership failed to honour the agreed basis of the talks and has reneged on the convergences reached with Mr Talat. It has also gradually become clear that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership have shifted away from a solution on the agreed basis. They have engaged in threats against the Cyprus Presidency of the European Union and against Cyprus’ sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone,” the President noted.

He reiterated his strong belief that the exploitation of hydrocarbons has the potential to contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in Cyprus and the entire region of the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as being beneficial for both communities of Cyprus in the context of a solution to the Cyprus problem.

He stressed that both sides need to fulfill all commitment to continue the negotiations for a free and reunited Cyprus, in line with relevant UN Resolutions and in accordance with the agreed basis.

Referring to the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, President Christofias said that Cyprus has worked consistently and hard to serve the common European goals.

“We are satisfied with what Cyprus has managed to deliver and happy because now that the Presidency is coming to its close, our efforts have been acknowledged by all stakeholders, who clearly talk about a successful EU Presidency” he noted.
Presenting his credentials the new Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, stationed in Athens, Saker Malkawi, said that Cyprus has recently emerged as an energy centre in the region, which will boost the development and cooperation between the countries in the region and will help in enhancing further the standard of living of all their populations.

With regard to the Cyprus question, the Ambassador reaffirmed Jordan’s position that has always been for the unification and sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and for the achievement of a peaceful and lasting solution to the Cyprus question based on the implication of all UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions.

He praised the Republic of Cyprus for its vote in favour of the recognition of the status for Palestine as Non-member state, and for its positive role in supporting the Middle East peace process.

Replying, President Christofias, referred to the developing momentum in the relations of the two countries, adding that during its term as Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Cyprus has worked towards the enhancement of the southern dimension of the EU policy.

With regards to the Middle East Peace Process, Cyprus considers that any solution should be based on international law and the UN Security Council Resolutions and provide for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State that will exist side-by-side to the State of Israel, Christofias said, expressing appreciation for the invaluable support of Jordan, in the framework of international organizations, towards finding a viable solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of the United Nations Resolutions.
“Unfortunately, developments within the Organization of the Islamic Conference continue to cause concern” he added.

Presenting his credentials, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, stationed in Rome, August Parengkuan noted that the friendly relations between the two countries and people continue to strengthen.

He stressed that Indonesia consistently supports a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem as described in the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions based on the agreed basis of talks between the two communities, adding that Indonesia reaffirms its position by declaring its reservations on resolutions or parts of the outcome documents adopted by the 39th Council of Foreign Ministers meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) regarding “the Situation in Cyprus” which Indonesia considers to be contrary to or not in line with Indonesia’s foreign policy and agreed principles of international law.

The new Ambassador also referred to Indonesia’s active role in the region as well as in the international fora such as ASEAN, G-20 and the United Nations.

Replying, President Christofias said that bilateral relations between the two countries are continuously developing, in all fields, noting that Indonesia is an important state in Asia and increasingly a crucial player in world affairs.
Christofias stressed that it is important to foster bilateral relations by strengthening them via trade and commerce, as well as within the maritime field, since we are both traditionally maritime and trading countries.

He noted Indonesia’s leading role and involvement in the ASEAN framework, adding that the EU attaches great importance to the Cooperation and Partnership Agreement.

“Cyprus firmly believes that its implementation will significantly improve the interaction between the Union and Indonesia in a sustainable and multifaceted way,” the President said.

Presenting her credentials, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Angola, stationed in Athens, Isabel Mercedes Da Silva Feijó, said that Angola consistently supports a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem, as described in the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The Ambassador expressed Angola’s intention to reinforce the cooperation with Cyprus, stimulate investments, diversify and consolidate bilateral relations.

President Christofias noted that as a member state of the European Union, Cyprus is eager to work closely promoting common values and principles via the already established regional dialogue between the EU and the countries of Africa.

“We can all  profit from the use the 2nd action Plan of the Joint Africa Europe Strategy, which was agreed upon during the 3rd EU-African Union Summit in Tripoli (November  2010) to our mutual benefit and advantage,” he added.

Present at the ceremonies were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Erato Kozakou- Marcoullis, the Deputy Minister to the President, Titos Christofides and the Chief of Protocol, Nearchos Palas