Official Car of French President Macron
Source: Rahma Sophia Rachdi
Here is the full statement of French President Macron, at the occasion of the official visit of Nicos Anastasiades President of the Republic of Cyprus, at Elysee Palace. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to welcome Nicos Anastasiades, President of the Republic of Cyprus, to Paris today. We have already had the opportunity to meet at the European Councils but this is the first time we have a more in-depth interview and I want to thank Nicos for being here today. We have of course first mentioned the bilateral relationship between our countries which is excellent. Our two countries are bound by a strategic agenda signed a year ago that covers the areas of defense, economic and cultural. It will be further improved by our Foreign Ministers in a few days and we have discussed together the ways to feed a further implementation of this agenda. In terms of defense, our cooperation is already very strong, it has been illustrated during the last years, especially through our navy, which makes almost 40 stopovers a year in Cyprus and this cooperation could be brought to intensify with the modernization project of Mari's military port. The President proposed that France be associated. I thank him for this initiative and our Ministry of the Armies will study this proposal quickly so that we can move forward in a very concrete way. Like him, I want the relationship to become denser on this point.--------------------------------------------------------
In economic matters, the quality of the relationship is illustrated by the establishment of Total in Cyprus, which carries out exploratory drilling in the exclusive economic zone of Cyprus and continues this cooperation, and here I wish to reiterate the importance of this relationship and the full support of the French Government to this TOTAL presence in Cyprus.
Finally, I also have in mind the cultural dimension symbolized by the visit that the President made this morning to the Louvre but which is also embodied by the teaching of French in Cyprus and the particular involvement that you and your government have had to facilitate the work and recent progress of our presence in this area. We also mentioned the inter-Cypriot negotiations, there is a process led by the United Nations, involving the three guaranteed powers: Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom. This negotiation process has brought about historic advances that no one would have thought possible years ago and which, dear Nicos, owe you a lot. We know it but it is clear that the Crans-Montana conference in July did not complete the process and overcome all the blockages, even if again, there is a lot of progress that has been made. and it seems to me that it is necessary in the period to capitalize on these advances. When Cyprus considers it useful to reopen negotiations, France will support as much as you wish the resumption of these negotiations and will play the most useful role possible because we are very keen on the progress of these negotiations. France, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, plays a role, but we can go beyond that, if you wish, to be fully involved.-------------------------------
We finally talked about the future of Europe. I have seen the great convergence of views that unites us on this subject, first of all your will, dear President, to participate in structured and permanent defense cooperation, which is also good news and I wish strongly that this will allow us to move forward, to support also the European Defense Fund. More broadly, I hope that we can work more together, we have evoked there is a real convergence of views, and on all subjects security, defense, economic can build projects together and also clarify compromises we can do in the coming weeks and months.
More broadly, I hope that we can work more on issues of common interest; this is also why the initiative taken to bring together all the Mediterranean partners around the Med 7 is an initiative that I support and which will enable us, in the coming weeks, to hold a joint meeting. This is what I wanted to quickly return to the outcome of the friendly and fruitful interview that we have just had to repeat how much on bilateral topics such as international and European topics, we have the desire, the one and the other, to work together. Once again, I am looking forward to this exchange, Mr President, dear Nicos, and thank you for coming to Paris today before I can give you the courtesy in the next few weeks. Thank you very much." French President Macron Stated
