Cyprus is fighting for a substantive process for the settlement of the Cyprus problem and it is important to stress to everyone the need to refrain from illegal actions and challenges that involve the risk of derailment and the EU has a specific role in this issue, said on Saturday Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis.
In statements after the meeting he had with his Slovenian counterpart Dr. Anže Logar, and the talks that covered Cyprus, bilateral relations and EU issues, the Foreign Minister said that he informed his interlocutor about the current situation and the efforts of the UN Secretary General for the resumption of negotiations and reiterated the willingness of Cyprus to continue the negotiations with under the framework of the UN Secretary-General, the existing convergences and the joint statement of February 2014. He expressed the hope that all those involved would have the same level of commitment.
He said the Slovenian Foreign Minister fully understands the importance of ensuring that an integrated settlement is in line with UN Security Council resolutions, the UN Charter, EU values and principles, and that a reunited Cyprus must be a a functioning and sustainable EU Member State, and a stable, credible player in the region.
A modern European state that is not connected to anachronistic systems and structures that have no place in the 21st century, he continued.
He said Slovenia was preparing to take over the EU presidency in the second half of 2021 and the visit comes at a critical time in difficult conditions due to the pandemic that requires European solidarity and resilience.
Regarding bilateral relations, Mr. Christodoulidis said that both noted with satisfaction that the cooperation is at a high level, with increased bilateral exchanges, especially after the signing three years ago of the renewed Memorandum of Cooperation for Political Consultations between the two Ministries. .
“With this as a starting point, we are moving forward to further strengthen our dialogue, putting it on a regular basis, in order to promote synergies and increase cooperation in areas such as tourism, education and culture, business and trade,” he said. .
The Minister also said that the talks today covered EU-Turkey relations, migration, as well as the pandemic, as well as regional and international developments of common interest.
He referred to Slovenia's interest in participating in MED7 and said that this would be discussed at the forum of the seven Mediterranean states, saying that Cyprus sees the importance of Slovenia joining the forum and supports it.
In his own statements, the Slovenian Foreign Minister said that he had an excellent conversation with his counterpart, noting that the small EU Member States need to work together in detail to address issues of mutual interest that may not be so important to some other countries. .
He added that he expressed his country's desire to participate in MED7, saying that Slovenia, as a Mediterranean country, shares common views with Cyprus and it is important for all Mediterranean countries to have a stronger voice, as they face the same issues.
Dr. Logar said that they had an interesting discussion on bilateral cooperation and that Mr. Christodoulidis presented him with many areas in which bilateral cooperation could be strengthened, adding that he looks forward to a strategic dialogue to this end.
The Slovenian Minister expressed his admiration for the way Cyprus deals with the pandemic, adding that Slovenia has a lot to learn from Cyprus. He hopes, he said, that in due course and as the vaccination process progresses, they will have the opportunity to meet again live, during the EU presidency in Slovenia and not by teleconference.
Dr Logar said he had outlined his country's presidency's priorities in tackling the pandemic, cyber threats and dangers, adding that Slovenia was looking forward to supporting Cyprus.
He also referred to the talks on the new Asylum and Immigration Directive, adding that we must listen to the voice of countries such as Cyprus, which are at the forefront. He said that this is a thorny issue, but Slovenia will make every effort to find a comprehensive solution that meets the challenges.
He said they also discussed the future of the Balkan countries and his country's goal of holding an EU-Balkans summit, adding that with a prudent approach we could achieve a realistic step forward. The Slovenian Minister also spoke about the need for an active dialogue with the United States. The talks also covered sports co-operation and so-called water diplomacy.
He also said that he invited his Cyprus counterpart to visit Slovenia together with the heads of the chambers of commerce to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation.
