OPR- Monday, 11th June, 2007

This morning, the President of Cyprus Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos and Mrs. Papadopoulou welcomed the President and Mrs Fenech Adami at an Official Ceremony at the Presidential Palace at the start of a two-day State Visit.

The two Presidents spoke of the long standing good bilateral relations between the two countries.  Both Presidents believe that Malta and Cyprus bring an increased Mediterranean dimension to the European Union and have common interests in the Mediterranean region. Both countries joined the EU on the 1^st May 2004 and moreover, both have matched the Maastricht criteria to join the Eurozone in January 2008.  

The Presidents discussed issues of concern to both countries, including the future of the European Union, the problem of illegal immigration, the Cyprus problem, and the potential of increasing business exchanges.  The Presidents agreed that there is room for increasing commercial and financial cooperation.  The Presidents expressed their hope that the business seminar would bring businessmen of the two countries together to collaborate in business in each other’s countries and beyond. 

The President called on the Mayor of Nicosia, Mrs Eleni Mavrou at the Municipality where he was presented with the Medal of the City of Nicosia and the Honorary Diploma on the occasion of the State Visit. President Fenech Adami commented on the need of reaching an agreement to a solution of the division.

President Fenech Adami also met the President of the House of Representatives, Mr. Demetris Christofias and was hosted to luncheon by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and Mrs. Yiorgos Lillikas.

President Fenech Adami also met with His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos II, visited the Cathedral of St. John and a Byzantine Museum, the Makarios III Foundation.

Earlier in the day, the President opened the Cypriot-Maltese Business Forum at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  One-to-one business meetings between the Maltese and Cypriots, followed. (See pr0856)

The delegation is composed of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, Malta Stock Exchange, Malta Tourism Authority, Pace and Mercieca Ltd., 2I Ltd, MB Solco Ltd., 389 Co Ltd. and Bristow Potteries Ltd.  The Business Forum was organised by the Economic and Cultural Diplomacy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the morning Mrs. Fenech Adami accompanied by Mrs. Papadopoulou visited the old city of Nicosia, the Leventis Municipal Museum, the Observation Post at Shiacolas Tower and the Cyprus Handicraft Service.

Minister Michael Frendo met his counterpart Mr. Yiorgos Lillikas, the Cypriot Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Late in the evening, the President of Cyprus and Mrs. Papadopoulou hosted the President and Mrs. Fenech Adami to a state dinner at the Presidential Palace.