It is with great pleasure that I receive today your Letters of Credence appointing you as the new Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the Letters of Recall of your distinguished predecessor. I warmly welcome you to Cyprus and assure you of my Government’s full support in the discharge of your important mission.

Cyprus and Slovakia share a long-standing relationship founded on friendship, mutual respect and a steadfast commitment to international law, multilateral cooperation and the principles and values of the European Union (EU). Over the years, our bilateral relations have matured into a broad and substantive partnership and I look forward to working closely with you to further deepen these very promising ties.

I particularly welcome the growing economic and business dimension of our relationship and I remain confident that there is considerable scope to advance mutually beneficial collaboration in investment, innovation, new technologies and entrepreneurship. The Doers Summit in Lemeos, formerly known as the Reflect Festival, is a fine example of the bridges that can be built between our business and innovation ecosystems, bringing together entrepreneurs, researchers, start-ups and young professionals.

Our people-to-people ties are likewise flourishing. The growing number of Slovak visitors, the presence of the Slovak community in Cyprus and the strengthening of direct air connectivity between Larnaka and Bratislava are bringing our societies closer together and opening new avenues for tourism, business and human exchange.

At the same time, our cooperation in security, crisis management and humanitarian assistance has assumed particular significance in recent years. Cyprus has demonstrated its capacity to serve as a stable and reliable regional hub for evacuation and repatriation operations and for the coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance. In this regard, we greatly value Slovakia’s solidarity and practical contribution, including through its participation in the Argonaut exercise and the Amalthea Initiative. These efforts stand as a tangible expression of the trust that underpin our relations and I am confident that our cooperation in these fields will continue to grow from strength to strength.

Allow me to refer to the Cyprus issue, which remains a matter of fundamental importance for my country. We welcome the current momentum under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and we remain firmly committed to a comprehensive and lasting settlement, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, international law and the principles and values of the EU.

We deeply appreciate Slovakia’s longstanding contribution to peace and stability in Cyprus, particularly its unique role in facilitating dialogue between the two communities, as well as its 25 years of participation in the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). This enduring engagement is a powerful testament to Slovakia’s commitment to peace on our island. We count on Slovakia’s continued constructive and principled engagement in support of the agreed basis of the settlement and the resumption of meaningful negotiations.

In closing, I once again extend to you my warmest welcome to Cyprus and convey my sincere wishes for every success in the fulfilment of your mission. You may count on the full support of my Government and on a partnership founded upon trust, mutual respect and shared purpose. Please also convey to the President of the Slovak Republic, Mr Peter Pellegrini, as well as to the people of Slovakia, my heartfelt greetings and a message of sincere friendship and solidarity.

Ambassador Radačovský, welcome to Cyprus.