With this first visit by a German President to Cyprus, Federal President Steinmeier will underscore the close ties between Germany and Cyprus, a report published on the German Presidency’s website says.
It notes that “twenty years after Cyprus joined the European Union and 50 years after the division of the island, this trip to the country in the eastern Mediterranean will also pay tribute to the close partnership with an EU member state contending with a unique political and geographical situation”.
During his visit, it adds, the Federal President will hold political talks with President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides and Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, on 12 February.
Thereafter, the Federal President will attend a luncheon with business people hosted by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, after which a visit to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is scheduled. It says that UNFICYP “has been stationed on the island fo
r 60 years and secures the buffer zone between the two parts of the country”.
Later on, during the visit, the focus on 13 February will be on cooperation on migration issues as well as in the area of culture and education.
The press release says that Frank Walter Steinmeier will arrive at Larnaca airport on Sunday afternoon and on Monday morning he will be received with military honors by the President of the Republic of Cyprus. Later on, they will give a joint press conference.
Source: Cyprus News Agency
