PRESIDENT Nicos Anastasiades on Sunday described his three-day working visit to Israel as the ‘start of a new era in bilateral relations’ saying he is ‘absolutely satisfied’ with the talks he has had with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Anastasiades said, according to an official press release, that he was assured that improved Israeli ties with Ankara will not affect, in a negative way, relations with Nicosia.
Speaking to the press after talks in Jerusalem between the two delegations, President Anastasiades said, ‘We have embarked on a strategically important dialogue with a view to enhancing and further developing our bilateral ties, which are founded on common principles and values.’
The Israeli Premier welcomed the Cypriot President ‘in a spirit of cooperation’.
The two leaders had a 20 minute private meeting, followed by talks which lasted about one hour.
‘We had the opportunity to exchange not only proposals leading to joint strategic options but also ideas which serve, in the best possible way, the common interests of both countries, on a bilateral level as well as in the wider region,’ the President added.
He said that talks, as expected, focused on cooperation in energy matters and both sides reaffirmed their joint commitment to develop and exploit cross-border natural gas and oil reserves.
Nicosia and Jerusalem also agreed to reactivate agreements and accelerate the conclusion of agreements on health, research and development, technology, civilisation, combating terrorism and organised crime.
‘We also discussed current developments in the region, which are worrying, with particular emphasis on the situation in Syria, where the crisis may spill over into the wider region,’ Anastasiades told the press after his talks.
Netanyahu and Anastasiades expressed the belief that Iran must engage in a constructive dialogue to comply with its international obligations with regard to its nuclear programme.
‘I briefed the Prime Minister on the current economic difficulties Cyprus is facing, pointing out at the same time that I remain committed to a political settlement in Cyprus, in line with UN resolutions and EU values and principles,’ President Anastasiades stressed.
Premier Netanyahu, he continued, ‘showed full understanding and reiterated the traditional positions of principle on the question of Cyprus, reaffirming that Israel’s improved ties with Turkey are not going to affect Cyprus-Israel relations and I want to emphasise this.’
The President said Cyprus seeks constructive, creative and effective cooperation with Israel, which he thanked for its ‘impeccable cooperation and understanding of our positions’.
Meanwhile, the Ministers of Defence of Cyprus and Israel, Fotis Fotiou and Moshe Yaalon, have set the foundations for a coordinated cooperation in energy security issues.
In statements at Limassol, Fotiou told reporters that during his meeting in Tel Aviv last Thursday with Yaalon, they also decided to set up technical committees to promote the issues examined.
He said their discussions were very productive and allowed them to examine a series of issues which relate to bilateral relations on security and energy issues, following the location of vast natural gas reserves within the Cyprus EEZ which borders with that of Israel, and opens prospects for cooperation in the field.
‘We decided to set the foundation to further strengthen and deepen relations between the two ministries,’ said Fotiou, noting that for this reason technical committees were set up to promote all issues and the firstmeeting of these committees will take place in Cyprus on 28 May.
Stressing that the issue is very sensitive, he said ‘We have set the foundation to launch a substantive dialogue on issues that concern energy security and cooperation.’
This way, he added, we will be able to face challenges and exploit the opportunities as regards energy.
He also said that ‘our cooperation with Israel is no threat to anyone. On the contrary, it aims to promote peace, security, stability and development in the region and it is not directed against any state’.
Fotiou did not rule out similar cooperation with other neighbouring countries such as Greece, Lebanon and Egypt, adding that his Israeli counterpart will pay an official visit to Cyprus in the next few weeks.
The two also decided to continue the joint search and rescue manoeuvres as well as the possibility to expand these with other countries becoming involved such as Greece.
President Nicos Anastasiades visited on Monday 6 May the ‘Yad Vashem’ Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.
In statements to the press, the President said that the respect for the history and the sacrifices of each nation underscores the need for such memorials in order to remind all of us the struggle for survival.
The President and his entourage laid a wreath at the Memorial and lit the flame in remembrance of the millions of Jews who were annihilated by the Nazis.
In his statement, the President stressed that humanity must stay vigilant so that similar tragedies are not repeated.
• Meanwhile, Turkish and Israeli officials met again in Jerusalem last Monday to discuss compensation payments to the families of the victims of a 2010 Israeli raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla led by the Mavi Marmara ship.
The Turkish committee headed by Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu and Israeli delegation led by Israeli prime minister’s adviser Joseph Ciechanover, and Yaakov Amidror, President of National Security Council, met on Monday.
Turkey and Israel agreed on the text, which assessed the parameters for the compensation, announced the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc is coordinating the compensation process.
Arinc said, ‘The amount of the compensation was not assessed; however, the calculation base for compensation was assessed, and principles were set up.’
Israeli and Turkish officials also reached a draft agreement to mend the three-year diplomatic crisis between the two countries, after a productive meeting at the Foreign Ministry in occupied Jerusalem on Monday 6 May.
Ankara broke off relations with Jerusalem in May 2010, after the IDF raided the Mavi Marmara ship as it attempted to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza, killing nine Turkish activists on board.
‘The two sides expect to come to an agreement in the near future,’ the Prime Minister’s Office said.
‘The meeting was conducted in a good and positive manner. The delegations reached an agreed draft, but further clarifications are required on certain subjects,’ the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Amidror remained in Jerusalem for the talks, instead of going to China on Sunday with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whom he met with in Beijing on Wednesday.
Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, a former Turkish ambassador to Israel, led his country’s delegation which spoke with the Israelis for over eight hours.
It was the highest level Turkish delegation to visit Israel in the last three years. It’s the second round of talks between the two delegations, who also met in Ankara in April. That Turkish delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc.
That meeting also left the Israelis feeling that full restoration of diplomatic ties could be possible. Israel and Turkey are looking to repair their severed relationship and build an alliance against Syria and Iran.
In March, Netanyahu apologised to Turkey, at the tail end of a visit by United States President Barack Obama. He promised that Israel would compensate the families of the nine Turkish activists.
