Cyprus is the strongest supporter of Serbia's EU path, President tells Vučić

Cyprus is the strongest supporter of Serbia's European path, President Nikos Christodoulides has underlined, after meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in the framework of his two-day official visit to Belgrade.

On his part, the Serbian President reaffirmed that his country supports UN resolutions on the sovereignty and integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, both on land and at sea, stressing that "this will not change".

According to a Presidency press release, in statements to the media, the Serbian President on 22 November referred to the Cyprus-Serbia Cooperation Council which will take place on Thursday 23 November, noting that two Summits have already been held in the past, in 2013 and 2018.

"Cyprus holds this kind of summit only with Greece and Egypt, so this proves how important our relationship is," he pointed out.

"Today we have confirmed that we want to further enhance the relations between our two countries. I have expressed my gratitude to Cyprus and to President Christodoulides, for the support they provide with regard to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, the observance of international law and UN resolutions, especially 1214," he noted.

The Serbian President added that the Republic of Serbia abides by the international law and supports UN resolutions on the sovereignty and integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, both on land and at sea. "The policy of our country is not going to change," he underlined.

Furthermore, he said that he briefed the President of the Republic on the situation in Kosovo and the desire of Serbia to resolve problems through dialogue and compromise. 

He thanked President Christodoulides for the "continuous and very important support that his country provides to the European perspective of Serbia." Cyprus, he said, "is one of the countries that strongly supports the European integration of our country and cooperates with us in all sectors".

He also referred to the Memoranda of Understanding that will be signed on Thursday between the two countries, stressing that "we will try to increase the number of visits by Serbian citizens to Cyprus and Cypriots to Serbia and to increase the level of services and trade."  Moreover, he said that he considers the cooperation of the two countries in the field of Defence as very important.

He also thanked the President of the Republic for the help that Cyprus provides to Serbia "everywhere, in Brussels, and in our bilateral relations."

Concluding, he said, "Cypriots are more than friends to us, they are our brothers' adding that "We love this country, we love these people and I know very well how much Cypriots also love Serbia and our people."

In his statements, the Cypriot President said that they had a very substantive exchange of views, and how to further deepen bilateral relations, and referred to the fields of defence, trade and tourism.

Referring to the cooperation in the field of Tourism, President Christodoulides said that it is important that there are direct flights. 

Regarding Thursday's meeting of the Cooperation Council, with the participation of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Education of Cyprus, the President of the Republic said that they will sign three very important Memoranda of Understanding in the field of Education, Science, Technology, as well as an MoU to further deepen cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

He added that with his Serbian counterpart, they discussed the developments in the Balkans, but also as regards the Cyprus issue, noting his commitment to solving the problem that "has been plaguing our country for almost half a century."

President Christodoulides expressed his gratitude for Serbia's position on the basis of the solution of the Cyprus issue, but also for the resumption of talks.

Moreover, referring to the Middle East crisis, he said he briefed the Serbian President on the initiatives of the Republic of Cyprus for the removal of civilians from the region, but also for the creation of a maritime corridor for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

He expressed hope that the latest positive developments in the conflict, which concern the hostages, will help the implementation of Cyprus' initiative, which is supported by both the EU, the USA and the neighbouring states.

Furthermore, he said they discussed the developments in relation to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and that he expressed Nicosia's support to the efforts of the Serbian government. Cyprus' position, he added, is firm and cannot be changed in respect of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia.

Regarding Serbia's European aspirations, President Christodoulides said that Cyprus is the strongest supporter of Serbia's European path adding that "we believe that the country has taken the most important steps, especially recently, both in terms of reforms as well as progress in many other areas and this should be recognised by the EU and be reflected in the Conclusions to be issued after the December European Council."

"Cyprus was, is and will continue to be one of the most ardent supporters of Serbia's European integration," he stressed.

Today, he added, "I feel that I am among friends and I am sure, Mr. President, that you feel the same way."

Concluding, the President of the Republic extended an invitation to President Vučić to visit Cyprus.

(Source: CNA)