Text and photos: Juan David Latorre.
The Embassy of Cyprus commemorated the 65th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus last Tuesday at a reception hosted by Ambassador Michalis Ioannou, along with the diplomatic delegation.
In his speech, the Cypriot ambassador first referred to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which his country will assume during the first half of 2026. “Both the negotiations and our country’s diplomatic missions,” he stated, “are currently preparing to carry out a successful presidency to the benefit of European integration and the citizens of its 27 member states as well as the entire European continent.”
“Regarding diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Spain,” he continued, “I repeat that dialogue between Madrid and Nicosia is fluid and regular and is developing at all levels. This could not be otherwise, since both countries, in addition to being united by strong ties of friendship, are also united by their shared participation in the European Union and the MED-9 formation, the latest Summit of which took place on October 19 in Slovenia, bringing together the nine Mediterranean member states of the European Union, in which the President of Cyprus and his Spanish counterpart participated. Our two countries face common challenges stemming from their geographical position: Cyprus at the eastern end of the Mediterranean and Spain at the western end.”
Ambassador Michalis Ioannou highlighted the main challenges as “climate change and its consequences, water scarcity, desertification, natural disasters, and irregular migration, among others. Of course, it was no coincidence that the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, chose Madrid as the first stop on his European tour in April, when he met with the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and was also received by His Majesty, King Felipe VI. In addition to this visit, consultations were held at the level of Secretaries of State for the European Union.”
The ambassador also referred to the visit made last month by the Prime Minister of Migration of the Republic of Cyprus to Madrid to meet with the Minister of the Interior, as well as the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, as well as other meetings between authorities from the two countries.
“However,” Ambassador Ioannou continued, “political contacts, although very important, are not enough on their own to develop relations between the countries. People-to-people exchanges, whether commercial, tourist, cultural, or otherwise, play a fundamental role in this effort. These are areas in which both countries must make even greater efforts. Therefore, we are pleased with the upcoming launch of Wizzair regular direct flights connecting Larnaca with Barcelona, with three weekly flights starting on October 26. We hope that a regular direct air connection will soon be established between Cyprus and the Spanish capital, Madrid. This will undoubtedly give additional impetus to our bilateral relations and to the interaction between the local communities of both countries.”
The ambassador then referred to the relations between Cyprus and Andorra, a country to which he is also accredited. “Cyprus and Andorra share close ties of friendship, and they participate together in the formation of small European states. This year, the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations, and our Embassy will intensify its efforts to further strengthen Cyprus’s relations with Andorra, as we understand the importance of cooperation between small European states in addressing common challenges,” he noted.
On the international front, the ambassador referred to the Gaza conflict, highlighting the “important and hopeful developments with the signing of the ceasefire agreement for the long-awaited end to the war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 67,000 people since its beginning two years ago. The international community awaits the fulfillment of the agreements, as well as a transition to the second phase of the agreement, to guarantee, first of all, unhindered access of humanitarian aid to its inhabitants and, subsequently, the reconstruction of the Strip. However, we must not forget that lasting peace will only be guaranteed with a two-state solution, in which the Palestinian state and the State of Israel coexist peacefully and in security, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
Cyprus was present at the Sharm el-Sheikh conference on October 13 in recognition of its role as the European country closest to the region, which maintains excellent relations with both Israel and Palestine and other Arab countries. Proof of the role that Cyprus can play is the fact that, during the month of September, 10% of the humanitarian aid arriving in Gaza was channeled through the Cyprus Maritime Humanitarian Corridor.”
Regarding the Russian occupation of Ukraine, Ambassador Michalis Ioannou stated that “we hope that peace will soon be achieved in Ukraine, respecting international law. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and the non-use of force are fundamental elements of international law and the United Nations Charter.” Therefore, the Republic of Cyprus, which has regrettably been a victim of Turkey’s violation of these fundamental principles of international law for 51 years, expresses its solidarity with the government and people of Ukraine.”
Finally, regarding the Cyprus issue, the ambassador stated that “we hope that the election of the new leader of the Turkish Cypriot community last Sunday marks a positive step forward on the part of Turkey and the Cypriot leadership, allowing for the resumption of negotiations to resolve the Cyprus issue on the basis of the United Nations Security Council resolutions that provide for a federation solution. The President of the Republic of Cyprus has expressed on numerous occasions his readiness to immediately resume negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General at the point at which they were interrupted in 2017, with the aim of achieving a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem based on the Security Council resolutions and the European Union law.” We trust that Turkey will realize the benefits of resolving the Cyprus issue and will effectively support the initiative and efforts of the UN Secretary-General. There is no doubt that without Turkey’s will and support, there can be no solution to the Cyprus issue, a solution that must result in the reunification of the Republic of Cyprus, a solution without foreign troops or guarantees from third countries, and with full respect for the human rights of all Cypriots. A solution that benefits both Greek and Turkish Cypriots and peace in Cyprus and throughout the región”.
