The new High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Malta, with residence in Rome, Mr. Yiorgos Christofides, presented, on 19th May 2022, his Letters of Commission to the President of Malta, Dr. George Vella, during a special ceremony at Sant’ Anton Palace, the official residence of the President of Malta.
During the meeting that followed, the High Commissioner conveyed, firstly, to the President of Malta, the warm regards and wishes by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, for prosperity and progress of Malta and its people.
The High Commissioner had the opportunity to underline the close historical bonds between Cyprus and Malta, but also the deepening of the bilateral relations to which their participation to the European Union has led to, as well as their similar attributes as island states of the Mediterranean. He further reassured of his intention to exert every effort for further enhancement of the cooperation between the two countries at the bilateral and multilateral level and the reinforcement of their already close coordination for addressing the common challenges the two countries face. Mr. Christofides briefed the President of Malta about the latest developments concerning the Cyprus problem, including the proposals on our part for Confidence Building Measures, but also about the illegal behaviour of Turkey in the Exclusive Economic Zone as well as the territory of Cyprus, with emphasis on the provocative acts by Turkey within the fenced area of Varosha.
President Vella underlined, on his part, the historical bonds of friendship between Malta and Cyprus and reciprocated the warm wishes to the President of the Republic of Cyprus. He also reiterated the long standing support of Malta to the efforts for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, in line with the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.