Five new ambassadors present credentials

President Nicos Anastasiades on Tuesday received the credentials of five new ambassadors to the island; Peru, Armenia, Indonesia, Colombia and Togo, briefing them on the current situation with the Cyprus talks and Turkey’s provocations in the island’s exclusive economic zone.

“Turkey’s most recent illegal actions in our maritime zones amount to escalated provocations and to flagrant violation of our sovereign rights to explore and exploit our natural resources, and do not contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for the resumption of the negotiations,” he said in respective speeches to the new ambassadors.

“Turkey’s pretext that it is acting to protect the interests of the Turkish Cypriots is completely unfounded since we have repeatedly and publicly stated that the natural resources of the Republic of Cyprus belong to all Cypriots, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, in line with the convergence reached with the Turkish Cypriot side that decisions with regards to the maritime areas will be a federal competence in reunited Cyprus,” he added.

He also pledged with each ambassador to strengthen ties with their respective countries, as did the diplomats in terms of their bilateral relations with Cyprus.

The new ambassadors are: Peru Luis Iberico Nunez; Colombia Juan Rafael Mesa Zuleta; Indonesia: Dr RA Esti Andayani; Togo Calixte Batossie Madjoulba and Armenia Fadey Charchoghlyan.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.