New British High Commissioner presents credentials

PRESIDENT Glafcos Clerides yesterday received the credentials of new British High Commissioner Edward Clay at a Presidential Palace ceremony.

In his speech, Clay made reference to the long-standing relationship between Cyprus and the UK, pointing out that many Britons had chosen to make the island their permanent home, and that lots of British tourists returned to Cyprus time and time again. Clay also mentioned the large numbers of Cypriots who visit and study in England.

On the political front, he said British Prime Minister Tony Blair had committed the UK to a sustained effort on behalf of Cyprus in 1999, and supported the island’s EU accession bid, as this was in the interests of both sides on the island.

In his reply, Clerides also pointed to the longevity of the relationship between the two countries, saying this had been going on for a century now. Cyprus, he added, was

committed to finding a Cyprus solution, in spite of Turkish intransigence and that he believed EU accession would benefit “all Cypriots”.

Cyprus, he concluded, counted on England’s “constructive involvement in the search for a just, viable and lasting solution of the Cyprus problem.”

Also present at the ceremony was Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides and Presidential Under-Secretary Pantelis Kouros. Clay replaces outgoing High Commissioner David Madden, who has moved on to be Britain’s ambassador to Athens.

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.