Greece, Egypt and Cyprus have expressed their commitment to work closely and strengthen their cooperation in areas of mutual benefit, following a trilateral meeting the Foreign Ministers Evangelos Venizelos, Sameh Shoukry and Ioannis Kasoulides had last Friday in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
This was the second such meeting the Ministers have had, a press release on the meeting, made public on Sunday, said.
The press release sets out joint assessments of the three governments on regional issues, such as Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Libya and the dangers of terrorism. It also provides political support to Egypt, includes the positions of Cyprus government on Cyprus issue and supports the Greek positions on the issue of illegal immigration.
It reaffirms the intention of the three countries to promote the cooperation of the neighboring countries of the Eastern Mediterranean in various issues, as well as in energy.
According to the press release, the three Ministers had the opportunity to review developments in the region and to underline the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean becoming a pillar of stability in the wider area, by promoting cooperation among neighboring countries, including in the energy field.
The Ministers expressed their satisfaction regarding the ongoing trilateral political consultations between their countries covering a multitude of bilateral and regional issues of common interest and declared the commitment of their respective governments to work closely together and to enhance their cooperation in all fields of mutual benefit.
They reaffirmed their support to the Government and the people of Egypt in their quest for a prosperous and democratic country and they expressed strong solidarity with the people and the government of Egypt in their fight against terrorism.
On the issue of Cyprus, they reaffirmed their support to the ongoing efforts for reaching a solution on the basis of relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which would be beneficial for all Cypriots and the whole region. They welcomed and expressed their satisfaction for the appointment by the Secretary General of Espen Barth Eide as his Special Advisor on Cyprus. They also expressed their strong support to efforts to implement confidence building measures that will provide a dynamic impetus to the prospect of a united Cyprus.
With regard to the Middle East Peace Process, they underscored the decisive role of Egypt and its invaluable sponsorship to the cease fire in Gaza reached last August. They also stressed the need for the resumption of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians with a view to reaching a mutual agreement on a two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, which is imperative in order to achieve sustainable and viable peace. They expressed their support to the October 12th Conference on Reconstruction of Gaza that will be convened by Egypt and Norway.
On Iraq, they expressed concern at the deterioration of the security and the humanitarian situation, condemned the gross violations of human rights and the targeting of minority communities by terrorist groups and underlined the need for collective action under the United Nations auspices on the basis of Security Council Resolution 2170 and 2178. They reaffirmed their conviction about the threat of terrorism, which is not only limited to ISIL, but also includes all other extremist groups throughout the region and beyond.
On Syria, they affirmed their support to the efforts of the new Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Stefan De Mistura, and expressed their commitment to the efforts for a comprehensive political solution based on the principles of Geneva process and with a view to preserving Syrian territorial integrity and fulfilling the aspirations of the Syrian people. They also expressed satisfaction for the progress in the removal and destruction of the chemical weaponry, and they commended efforts under the auspices of the United Nations to alleviate the humanitarian conditions on the ground.
On Libya, they expressed deep concern at the threat posed by the ongoing unrest to the country’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, including its impact on security and economy of neighboring countries, and the increasing illegal migration burden to the southern European countries. They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and engagement in an inclusive political dialogue and reconciliation process, within the framework of the initiative adopted by the Libya Neighboring countries on August 25th 2014, under the United Nations auspices, in order to address the concerns and aspirations of the Libyan people. The Ministers also reaffirmed their full support to the legitimate institutions in Libya, in particular the House of Representatives, as the sole representative of the Libyan people and executive institutions evolving from it. They also expressed their support to the work of the constitutional drafting assembly.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. UN-led peace talks are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that would reunite the country.
