The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, assured on Tuesday Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, that the agreement between Israel and Turkey does not affect and will not, in any way, affect the close, fraternal and of strategic importance relations between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel.
Government Spokesman, Nikos Christodoulides, said in a written statement, issued here today, that Anastasiades and Netanyahu held a long telephone conversation, at the latter`s initiative, during which the President of Cyprus was briefed by the Israeli Prime Minister about the content of the agreement between Israel and Turkey.
“At the same time, Netanyahu noted that this agreement does not affect, and will not affect, in any way, the close, fraternal and of strategic importance relations between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel. A relation which will continue to be enhanced within a broad spectrum of fields of bilateral cooperation, to the benefit the two countries, and not only them,” he added.
The Spokesman said President Anastasiades expressed his satisfaction to Netanyahu for the update during the long discussions the Israeli PM has had with Turkey, and for the general principles on which the normalisation of the relations between the two countries is founded.
The President of the Republic agreed with the Israeli Prime Minister`s vies that the relation between the Republic of Cyprus and Israel is of strategic importance, and expressed his clear will to further enhance it, Christodoulides added.
At the same time, the President of the Republic expressed his belief that a possible solution to the Cyprus problem will contribute, decisively, to the normalisation of relations among the states of the region, allowing at the same time the lifting of any obstacles for the implementation of Turkey`s energy cooperation with countries in the region, Christodoulides added.
He also noted that Anastasiades warmly thanked Netanyahu for the immediate response from Israel to efforts to extinguish the fire in the region of Solea, which broke out on Sunday, June 19, and resulted in a massive ecological disaster in one of the island`s richest forest areas and the death of two fire-fighters, in addition to injuries sustained by others. It was put out with the help of aircraft from Greece, Israel, France, Italy and the British Bases in Cyprus.
President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are engaged in peace talks, under the UN, to find a negotiated settlement that would reunite Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion.
CNA/MK/MM/2016
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY