There is no other position than the full commitment to the UN Charter, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos said following his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu on Monday, 25 March, in Astana, adding that the two-state approach and Turkish rhetoric regarding the Cyprus problem cannot be accepted.
He also thanked Kazakhstan for its principled stance and dedication to the values of the law-based international community.
According to a Ministry statement, the Foreign Minister said in his press remarks that a meaningful exchange of views on a range of bilateral and global issues took place during the meeting. He added that the two ministers had the opportunity to assess the level and depth of the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Kazakhstan and explored ways they can further enhance and strengthen them.
In particular, Minister Combos said they discussed the economic dimension of the relationship and agreed that there is untapped potential that needs to
be fully exploited by expanding the scope of economic activity.
This is why, he continued, the organisation of another Forum between the business communities of Cyprus and Kazakhstan that will have a targeted audience on the basis of the identified sectors of priority is of great importance, as is the continuation of political dialogue at all levels, as well as the proposal for the establishment of an Inter-Governmental Committee.
On connectivity issues, he said that reaching Kazakhstan was no easy feat, and spoke of “a deterrence” in terms of people-to-people contacts, which also affects Business to Business activity, as well as the tourism industry, as he said.
He noted in that regard that he had signed shortly after the meeting a Memorandum of Understanding between the aeronautical authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the aeronautical authorities of the Republic of Cyprus, which would enable the establishment of direct flight connection between the two countries and pave the way to conclude als
o an Air Services Agreement.
Furthermore, Combos said he informed his Kazakh counterpart about the latest developments regarding the Cyprus Problem, expressing the government’s readiness to resume negotiations to reach a viable and lasting solution, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as provided by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
‘We are at a critical juncture. The two-state approach and rhetoric by the other side cannot be accepted. Not only by the Republic of Cyprus, but also by the international community as a whole. To this end, we are appreciative of Kazakhstan’s principled stand and dedication to the values of the law-based international community’, he noted, adding he also briefed Nurtleu about the ongoing strategy of the occupying regime to present the illegal secessionist entity as a part of the international community. ‘We, the international community must not be misdirected: there is no other position than the full commitment to the UN Charter’
, he stressed on the matter.
The worrying developments in the two countries’ respective regions was another point of discussion according to the Foreign Minister. He added that he was briefed by Foreign Minister Nurtleu as to the developments in Afghanistan, as well as Kazakhstan’s concerns and ways of improving a situation that unfolded rapidly in 2020.
He also said that the principles of humanitarianism and human dignity are currently being tested in the Middle East, with tragic civilian casualties that increase daily with terrorism and the use of hostages.
As regards the EU, the Foreign Minister reiterated the emphasis Cyprus places on the enhancement of EU-Kazakhstan and EU-Central Asia relations, adding that the two countries will continue to work together in close coordination, guided by their core shared values.
According to another Foreign Ministry statement, Minister Kombos was also received on Monday by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the President of the Senate Maulen Ashi
mbayev.
It is added that he also had a meeting with the country’s Prosecutor General Berik Asylov, with whom he signed a Cyprus-Kazakhstan Agreement on the transfer of convicts.
Finally, it is stated that Kombos paid a visit to the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), where he was given a tour of the premises and was informed about the Centre’s activities by the Governor of the AIFC Council, Renat Bekturov.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency