Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met today at the Maximos Mansion with the President of the House of Representatives of Cyprus and President of the Democratic Rally party, Annita Demetriou, with both sides emphasizing the close cooperation between Greece and Cyprus during a period of heightened geopolitical challenges.

At the start of their meeting, the Prime Minister and the President had the following exchange:

Kyriakos Mitsotakis:
“I am very pleased to welcome you once again to Athens, at an extremely turbulent moment, but also, I believe, at a time when the ties between Greece and Cyprus have never been stronger.

I want to place great importance on the Greek initiative to stand by Cyprus at an exceptionally difficult moment, when the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus was actively challenged, and to express my satisfaction that the Greek initiative also became the precursor to a broader European mobilization. In this way, we proved that Europe itself can address issues concerning the defense of member states’ sovereignty more effectively than in the past.

So, once again, I want to express my joy at seeing you. I wish you success ahead of the elections, but above all I want to preserve this excellent climate that exists, I would say, not only between our governments and institutions, but also between our peoples, because I believe that these very strong ties between Greece and Cyprus have become even stronger in recent months.”

Annita Demetriou:
“That is true, my friend Prime Minister. I want to thank you on behalf of the entire Cypriot people, because Greece’s support and response, especially during this ordeal, was of unparalleled and substantial importance, precisely because of this common framework of response, and because Greece and Cyprus are pillars of stability for what is happening in our region and within Europe.

I am pleased to say that I see an upgraded Greece playing a leading role, and of course this is also due to you personally. I say it sincerely and I will continue to say it: it is very important to maintain this proud course. That is also the message I bring today.

We too want to safeguard this stability and sense of responsibility, especially ahead of the upcoming elections. We want to continue with the same strategy. Our relations are better than they have ever been, and we must preserve and emphasize that, while together we determine how to confront all these challenges. We know there are many open issues and complex problems. Therefore, the answer is neither toxicity nor populism, but responsibility, actions, and results — and that is the message we want to convey today as well.”