The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Christodoulidis, today expressed his personal concern about the danger of the annexation of the occupied territories to Turkey if there is no solution to the Cyprus problem by 2023, noting that this year will mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the modern Turkish state. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will want to present a bigger Turkey.
"Unfortunately, the occupied areas of northern Syria, areas in northern Iraq are potential targets of Mr. Erdogan and this is something that should concern us and of course we are concerned," said Christodoulidis, speaking before the Parliamentary Committee on Finance during the presentation. of the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2021.
Referring to the efforts for the resumption of talks for the settlement of the Cyprus issue, Mr. Christodoulidis said that the information is that at the end of November the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General Jane Hall Luth will be in Cyprus with the aim of convening an informal conference on Cyprus. , either around the end of December or in January, which will aim to announce substantive talks.
"The substantial effort began last week with contacts by Ms Luth, with all three guarantors, and is expected to peak around late November - early December," he said.
He also said that last night he spoke with the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, who may visit Cyprus and Greece before the European Council to be held on December 10-11. He further added that Mr Borrell had contacted Turkish leader Ersin Tatar to clarify that the EU could not accept a solution other than a federation and that ideas for two states could never be implemented. accepted by the EU.
Mr. Christodoulidis stated that the settlement of the Cyprus problem continues to be the number one priority, especially at this stage, noting that "our attention is focused on the resumption of negotiations from where they remained in Crans Montana, with the sole aim of achieving solution on the basis of the agreed framework of the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation ".
He pointed out that unfortunately the unprecedented challenges of Turkey in the whole region, including Cyprus, continue. "The international community's assessment is that Turkey's behavior in the wider region is mainly due to two reasons. The first concerns the implementation of a neo-Ottoman approach by Mr. Erdogan who wants Turkey by 2023, the 100th anniversary of the founding of modern Turkey, to become a leading force in the wider region, and especially in the Muslim world, and "The second concerns the significant economic challenges it faces inside the country," he said.
He said that in this context, the challenges towards Cyprus, either on land, such as in the enclosed area of Famagusta, or at sea, in the EEZ of Cyprus, are peaking.
He stated that "our reaction, apart from the readiness and the prospect of resuming talks, also focuses on the use of any available means we have as Foreign Ministry, with special emphasis on the EU, despite its weaknesses, mainly due to specific and special interests of Member States." Turkey".
The Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of the decisions that the European Council will take on December 10th and 11th, when Turkey will be evaluated and decisions are expected to be taken on the full range of Euro-Turkish relations.
He said that "no one can say now how our partners in the EU will move", adding that "it is not an end in itself to take sanctions or other measures, but the first goal is for Turkey to stop all these actions and that is where the focus is. effort".
Answering questions from MPs and referring to the Turkish provocations against Cyprus, Mr. Christodoulidis said that "apart from the statements, we did not expect any third country to come, whether a member of the Security Council, the United States, the Russian Federation, or "Anyone else should not allow Turkey to proceed with what it is doing."
He also said that it is important to see the big picture and the way in which Turkey acts in Greece, in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya. "It is instrumentalizing immigrants, it is instrumentalizing religion, it is trying to degrade regional regimes," he said, noting that "without any exaggeration since 1923 it is the first time we have seen a revising Turkey to the extent that we see it."
He also said that for Famagusta "there are some decisions we have taken at the level of Attorney General" which, however, as he said, can not be mentioned publicly,
Regarding Mr. Erdogan's illegal visit to the occupied and besieged city of Famagusta, he said that interventions were made by the EU and by permanent members of the Security Council and the UN Secretary General himself, noting that "they spoke with Turkey to do not make the visit ".
Regarding the Turkish Cypriot protests in the occupied territories against Mr. Erdogan and his policies, he said that they are very important and have been taken into account by the EU.
Regarding the election of Joe Biden to the US presidency, he said that he has a different approach from his predecessor, noting, however, that "at the end of the day, Mr. Biden, like any other US President, will work on how to better promote American interests. "
"I do not think there will be a special policy for Cyprus. "I believe that the approach for Cyprus will be within the framework of the political approach in the wider region", he said, noting that "we are interested to see who will implement the policy, if people who were in the previous government will return".
Mr. Christodoulidis also said that apart from the Cyprus issue, our goal is not to be monothematic. He referred to the three pillars of Cyprus 'foreign policy concerning the strengthening of its relations with all neighboring countries on the basis of a positive, inclusive approach, a more active and effective participation in the EU not only on issues of Cypriot interest and Cyprus' relations with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the extension of the agenda of discussions with them, beyond the Cyprus issue.
The Foreign Minister also said that he hopes that in 2021 the Permanent Secretariat for the tripartite formations will start operating in Cyprus. He said that for this purpose, the budget includes three positions of experts with services market. He added that so far they have the consent to participate in it with a physical presence from Greece, Egypt, Jordan and Israel.
He pointed out that the long-term goal is when the political conditions allow for the establishment of a regional co-operation organization in the region.
He also referred to the other actions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, such as the promotion of economic and educational diplomacy.
Budget 2021
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The budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2021 amounts to 100 million 978 thousand 943 euros. Of these, 88.828.823 euros relate to regular expenses and 12.150.120 euros to development expenses.
Mr. Christodoulidis said that the Republic of Cyprus currently has 53 diplomatic missions - 43 embassies, 4 permanent delegations to international organizations and six consulates general. He said that Cyprus is represented with a physical presence in 43 countries.
He said 30 of the Republic's diplomatic missions have only one diplomat, 9 have two diplomats, 7 have three diplomats, 2 have four diplomats and two have more: six in New York and 13. in Brussels XNUMX. He also said that there are three consulates general in Russia. Federation do not have a diplomat.
The Foreign Minister also noted that the Cypriot embassy in Mexico was closed last year and the embassy in Kenya was not opened as planned. However, he said, the Cypriot embassy in Damascus has reopened and the Foreign Ministry is working to open embassies in Bahrain, Ethiopia and Argentina.
The organic positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are 206 diplomats. Today, the Ministry has 149 diplomats, while 12 are seconded to other Ministries, services and international organizations. There are currently 45 vacancies due to retirement. In the last 10 years, 39 diplomats have retired or resigned and the ministry has hired three, he said.
Mr. Christodoulidis said that at the moment they are in the process of hiring 15 new followers with two different procedures and that last week the EDY gave them approval to announce 10 new positions of followers.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also said that the guild of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prepared, and with its own encouragement, a vision for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 2025, which records the goals and aspirations of the Ministry through a specific implementation plan on an annual basis for necessary infrastructure needed to achieve the political goals set.
Source: KYPE