Nikos Androulakis is in Cyprus today, Tuesday (24/03), where he was received by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia. “Our relationship goes back several years. Your presence here in Cyprus today, especially after recent events, is of particular importance to us. It confirms our close fraternal bonds,” President Christodoulides noted, adding that “we hope that some international initiatives that seem to be developing will lead to a positive outcome. A positive outcome that is nothing other than de-escalation, because the continuation of this situation, you understand, works negatively for all of us, for Europe as a whole, for the region. We are in constant contact with the leaders of the countries in the region, who also wish to achieve this goal of de-escalation. And we hope there will be positive developments.”
Nikos Androulakis in Cyprus: What he said during his meeting with Nikos Christodoulides
For his part, Androulakis emphasized that “my position and PASOK’s position is that no member state of the European Union should participate in any way in this war. And, of course, European states should show unlimited support and solidarity to any member state that requests it. And I am pleased that this solidarity was demonstrated here, in the Republic of Cyprus, with the presence of our country and other strong European states that came to ensure and strengthen the security of the Cypriot people.”
He made special mention of the fact that European solidarity is the result of “a great national success, Cyprus’s accession to the European Union with the Cyprus issue unresolved*, which was achieved through much work and planning by the then PASOK government, with Kostas Simitis as Prime Minister. As well as before, of course, with Andreas Papandreou, for PASOK there was a unified defense doctrine.”
“Non-involvement in war does not mean inaction”
Finally, Androulakis stressed that “non-involvement in war does not mean inaction. You are the presiding country and I think strong diplomatic initiatives must be taken both by the Republic of Cyprus and by European leadership to achieve peace in the Middle East. Because if the war doesn’t stop, its consequences won’t stop either, which are very significant and which you discussed at the European Council.
In closing, I want you to know, friend Nikos, President Nikos Christodoulides, that in your struggle for a just and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem, we will always be by your side. Because we want a solution that will be based on United Nations resolutions and there must be no possibility under any circumstances of implementing Turkey’s plans for the partition of the island. This for us is a basic national priority. And again, thank you very much and I wish that very soon you will overcome these difficulties as well.”
