Cyprus and Greece urge countries to join them for stability in region

The Foreign Ministers of Greece and Cyprus Nicos Dendias and Nicos Christodoulides on Sunday evening called on countries that respect international law to join them in their common initiatives to create the proper infrastructure to improve the lives of their citizens.

The two ministers made statements at the end of Dendias’ one day visit to Libya and Egypt, earlier on Sunday.

During their meeting at Glafcos Clerides International Airport in Larnaca, Dendias briefed Christodoulides on his shuttle visits to Libya and Egypt and the two discussed preparations for the signing of the intergovernmental agreement between Cyprus, Greece and Israel for the construction of the EastMed pipeline.

Christodoulides said the proper infrastructure is being built to handle actions that cause instability in the region.

For his part, Dendias clarified that the signing of EastMed does not constitute a reaction to Turkish actions but it is a continuation of the efforts of the three governments to promote the welfare of their peoples.

He also extended an invitation to states that respect international law to joint forces in securing and safeguarding stability in the region.

“Our approach is common, and so are our goals and I believe the proper infrastructure is being created to handle any moves by some who aim to create an unstable situation in Eastern Mediterranean, violating international law,” said the Cypriot FM.

Cyprus and Greece, he added, “aim to attract partnerships without excluding anyone, always on the basis of a positive approach. This is our call to all the countries of the region”.

Dendias said he briefed Christodoulides on the results of his tour in the Gulf and visits to Egypt and Libya. “We also discussed preparations for the signing of the EastMed agreement in Athens on 2nd January,” he said.

Dendias repeated Christodoulides’ appeal to countries in the region which “perceive international law as something natural” saying that “they are most welcome to participate in our common initiatives”.

“EastMed is a great boost for the energy stability of the EU. Our initiatives are not aimed against anyone; instead they are positive steps and we invite everyone who agrees with them to join,” he added.

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.