Cyprus Government says results of President’s visit to Germany are very satisfactory

The Cyprus government has expressed its satisfaction with the results of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades` visit to Germany.

In statements to the press, on the sidelines of Anastasiades` official visit to Germany, Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides said that Germany recognizes and attributes special significance to the geostrategic role that the Republic of Cyprus can play, stressing that “the results of the visit are considered to be very satisfactory.”

Christodoulides welcomed the support of Germany “on our positions concerning the Cyprus problem,” noting at the same time that “consultations that concern economic and technical assistance and support from Germany in specific sectors are at an advanced stage.”

The spokesman said that that “there is a common belief for the need to strengthen our bilateral relations through regular contacts at all levels.”

Noting that the President was accompanied by the Ministers of Finance and Communications, whereas a few weeks ago the Minister of Foreign Affairs was in Berlin, Christodoulides said that “this kind of meetings will continue.”

“There are many issues of common interest that come up, among others also those stemming from our common status as member states of the EU and the important German presence in Cypriot shipping, he noted.

He added that “Germany recognizes and attributes special significance to the geostrategic role that the Republic of Cyprus can play. The recent discovery of hydrocarbons in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus and the efforts for their exploitation can and should work for the benefit of the energy security of Europe, establishing Cyprus as a new European energy center,” he said.

As regards the Cyprus problem, he said “it is very important that Mrs. Merkel referred publicly to the need for the solution (to the Cyprus problem) to be compatible with the European acquis, to the more active involvement of Brussels in the process for the Cyprus problem, as well as to the added value that substantive confidence-building measures will have for the dialogue that is taking place.”

With regard to the economy, Christodoulides said “there is recognition for the significant effort that is being made by the Government, the political parties, the social partners and by the people of Cyprus in general.”

“The recent upgrades (by international credit rating agencies) and the positive evaluations by the Troika are indications of the positive course for the recovery of the Cyprus economy. In this context, the consultations that concern economic and technical assistance and support from Germany in specific sectors are at an advanced stage,” he added.

Christodoulides noted that “there was a common belief for the need to support the small to medium businesses, as well as for addressing the problem of unemployment, especially with regard to the young people. Both of these issues, in addition to being a priority for the Republic of Cyprus, are also broader issues that worry Berlin, since they touch also on the issue of Europe’s competitiveness, in general, vis-à-vis the USA and Asia,” he added.

Finally, he noted there was an expression of the common concerns about the situation in Ukraine and the way to address the crisis. The two countries, he noted, have identical views and approaches with regard to the ways and the means to deal with the situation as it has developed.

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