Chancellor of Austria: We fully support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, met with Austrian Chancellor Karl Neuhammer.

During the welcoming ceremony of Mr. Nehammer, at the Presidential Palace, a military salute was given, the National Anthems of Cyprus and Austria were played and then the Austrian Chancellor placed a wreath on the statue of the National Patriarch Makarios III.

This was followed by a private meeting between the President and the Chancellor during which Mr. Anastasiadis awarded him the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III, while for his part Mr. Nehamer, on behalf of the President of his country, awarded President Anastasiades the Great Star of Austria and there was an exchange of souvenirs.

In his statements, the President of the Republic said, among other things, that the visit of the Chancellor of Austria to Cyprus is another important milestone for the relations between the two countries and coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

He added that during their meeting they reviewed the scope of bilateral relations and ways to further develop them, in areas such as Defense, Trade, Tourism, Research and Development, as well as energy sufficiency and the promotion of renewable energy sources.

President Anastasiades also said that they discussed the Ukrainian issue and the humanitarian, energy and food crisis it is causing, at the same time underlining the EU’s undivided support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Referring to the energy crisis, he pointed to the need to find ways to maximize EU de-dependence through connectivity projects to which Cyprus can contribute.

He said, moreover, that they discussed Immigration, for which both countries face a serious problem, noting that Cyprus in particular faces a huge issue due to migration flows and asylum seekers, which Turkey encourages to flow into the free areas, stressing that the applicants asylum amount to 5% of the island’s population.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, the President of the Republic pointed out the ongoing Turkish intransigence and the ongoing violations of international law both on the ground and in the maritime zones of the Republic of Cyprus, noting at the same time that despite the initiatives from our side and the confidence-building measures he has proposed the Turkish side sticks to its rejectionist position without even considering them.

He also said that the Greek Cypriot side remains committed to continuing efforts to achieve a solution to the Cyprus issue and expects the EU member states to support our efforts to reunify the country.

Finally, Mr. Anastasiadis expressed his thanks to Austria for its principled stance in the Cyprus issue, but also for its contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus.

For his part, the Chancellor of Austria pointed out that Cyprus and Austria have very strong relations.

“I want to be clear. We fully support the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Cyprus, especially with regard to its maritime zones,” he said.

He added that in Migration, Cyprus and Austria face a similar serious problem, while stressing the need for EU asylum policy to change and become more effective.

He also referred to the food crisis that exists, noting that countries such as Egypt and Lebanon need immediate help to feed the refugees they host.

After the statements, the President of the Republic hosted a dinner in honor of the Chancellor of Austria.

Source: AMPE