It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Cyprus and to receive the Letters of Credence accrediting you as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Kuwait to the Republic of Cyprus.

Through you, I wish to convey my warm greetings and highest regards to His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait as well as to the Government and the friendly people of Kuwait. I would also be grateful if you could renew my invitation to His Highness to visit Cyprus at a mutually convenient time.

Cyprus and Kuwait enjoy longstanding relations of friendship, founded on mutual respect, trust, common understanding and shared values. These relations have stood the test of time and continue to grow from strength to strength. In this context, I remain committed to further expanding our cooperation across all areas of mutual interest for the benefit of our two countries and peoples.

The strength of our friendship has been demonstrated not only over the years, but also in times of challenge. In this spirit, I had the opportunity to personally express Cyprus’ solidarity with the Government and the people of Kuwait during my recent meeting with His Highness the Prime Minister.

At the same time, we remember with deep gratitude Kuwait’s generous support following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, including its contribution to reconstruction efforts and to the work of the Committee on Missing Persons. Such gestures of solidarity have left a lasting imprint on the friendship between our two countries and remain deeply appreciated by the people of Cyprus.

Cyprus and Kuwait share also important principles and values. We are both committed to the principles of the United Nations Charter, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, good neighbourly relations and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Having both experienced violations of our sovereignty, we fully appreciate the indispensable role of international law as the cornerstone of international peace, security and stability.

In this regard, allow me to express Cyprus’ sincere appreciation for Kuwait’s principled and longstanding support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. We are grateful for Kuwait’s valuable support in international fora as well as for its constructive position in support of a comprehensive settlement based on international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions.

Further strengthening relations with Kuwait and the wider Gulf region remains a priority for Cyprus. We see considerable scope to expand our cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade, investment, energy, tourism, education and people-to-people exchanges. I also look forward to intensifying contacts at all levels and to further enriching our political dialogue.

As a member state of the European Union (EU), Cyprus remains a strong advocate of closer EU-Kuwait and EU-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) relations. During our Presidency of the Council of the EU, engagement with the Gulf region was among our key priorities, and we will continue to promote deeper cooperation in areas of mutual benefit.

In closing, I wish you every success in the fulfilment of your mission. You may count on the full support of my Government in carrying out your responsibilities. I am confident that during your tenure the excellent relations between Cyprus and Kuwait will continue to flourish and reach even greater heights.

Ambassador Al-Turki, I warmly welcome you to Cyprus.