Cyprus-Australia mark 50 years of diplomatic ties

Cyprus and Australia have celebrated 50 years since the establishment of their diplomatic relations by issuing a set of commemorative personal stamps.

The commemorative stamps were presented on during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos, High Commissioner of Australia to Cyprus Fiona McKergow, Ambassadors and members of the diplomatic community, Cypriots who lived in Australia and members of the business and academic community.

In his address, Kombos said that the stamps celebrate the artistic legacy of the two countries and highlight the nature of their bilateral relationship.

“Today, Australia hosts the second largest Cypriot group of diaspora with over 80,000 residents of Cypriot descent,” said Kombos. The Cypriot community remains active, successful, vibrant and stands out for its important contribution to all aspects of the Australian society, he added.

Kombos reiterated Nicosia's deep appreciation for Australia's support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus and its commitment to a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, based on the resolutions of the UN Security Council and international law.

He also thanked Australia for its significant contribution to the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus with hundreds of peacekeepers between 1964 and 2021.

In her statements, the Australian High Commissioner said that this initiative marks 50 years of strong diplomatic relations, based on a century of shared history and human interactions that define this relationship.

She referred to the 80,000 Cypriots living in Australia, who make up the second largest diaspora group, whom she described as an essential part of the country's economic and social fabric.

Deputy Director of the Cyprus Post, Sofronis Tsiartas, said that the commemorative stamps include beautiful and symbolic references from the history and culture of the two countries.

The stamps, he concluded, represent the friendship and cooperation of the two peoples and the prospects for further cooperation.