Press Releases

On April 16 and 17, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, of Greece, Mr. Nikos Dendias, of Israel, Mr. Gabi Ashkenazi, and of the United Arab Emirates Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan will hold a meeting in Pafos. The latter will participate through teleconference and will be represented at the meeting by the Diplomatic Adviser of the President of the UAE and former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash.

This is the first joint meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the four countries. The meeting was made possible by the recent normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and it aims to make the most of the prospects created by this development, for further expansion of regional cooperation networks, on the basis of a positive agenda, to enhance peace, stability and security in the wider region.

During the meetings, which will start on Friday, the participating Ministers are expected to exchange views on a number of regional issues and issues of common interest, focusing on, among others, the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Gulf, as well as the situation in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

They will also have the opportunity to discuss, in the presence of their delegations, targeted proposals for developing cooperation between the four countries and beyond, in specific areas, such as, among other, tackling the pandemic and its effects, economic cooperation, energy, tourism, crisis management and expanding exchanges at youth and academic/research institutions.

At the end of the joint meeting, the Ministers will make statements to the press (at 17.30), which will be streamed live on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.mfa.gov.cy).

In the margins of the meeting, Mr Christodoulides will hold separate meetings with his Greek and Israeli counterparts, as well as with the Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the United Arab Emirates, during which mutual briefing and exchange of views on bilateral issues will take place.

On Saturday morning, the participating Ministers will have a joint informal meeting with the President of the Republic, Mr Nikos Anastasiades, who will be joining them in Pafos.

(MH/EK)