Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Cyprus thanks Iran for supporting efforts to solve Cypriot problem
by IRNA (Iran), Feb 28 2001
Posted: Monday, March 05, 2001 08:18 pm CST

Tehran, Feb 28, IRNA -- Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides in Tehran on Wednesday appreciated the Islamic Republic of Iran for its support for efforts to find a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

He said, "Whether at the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) or other international fora where Iran is a member, Iran's voice in favor of rule of law and justice in the case of Cyprus is heard repeatedly and with a clarity or message that resonates far and wide."

He said in his address to a Conference `Cyprus, a Melting Pot of Civilizations at the Crossroads of Three Continents' that on the bilateral front, relations between the two countries continue to expand into new areas of cooperation. Recently, the Friends of Cyprus from the Iranian Parliament visited Cyprus.

"What was evident from their various meetings is the keen interest to explore and propel cooperation to new fields, such as trade, industry and tourism, including joint ventures in the industrial field. Let me use this opportunity to invite the business community in Iran to utilize the potential that exists in these and other areas," he said.

Kasoulides said that in many issues Cyprus and Iran have a good understanding, particularly regarding issues affecting the developing world. "Both our countries attach particular importance to making the United Nations a more effective instrument in the hands of the world people," he said.

"In Cyprus, we believe that reform of the Security Council is a necessity, not for the sake of reform, but rather to enable it to carry out its responsibilities more effectively and give it greater legitimacy in the eyes of the world," the Cypriot foreign minister said.

Additionally, it is imperative that the United Nations be given the necessary resources to carry out its mandates, Kasoulides said.

He said the transition from bipolarity to multi-polarity brings into sharper focus the need for a strong cooperative mechanism to manage the interaction of numerous centers of power. If allowed, the United Nations is capable of ensuring, coordinating and maintaining the supremacy of international law. Ultimately, global governance can only be effective if the political will is shown by states and their leadership. "Let us not forget, also, that in the final analysis, the United Nations is only as effective as what the member states individually and collectively, allow it to be implementation of Security Council Resolutions as in the case of those applicable to Cyprus is a case in point," he observed.

"Within the Non-Aligned Movement. Cyprus and Iran have worked closely in the past on a wide host of issues, including the soul-searching undertaken by the Movement to identify its role and efficacy in the post war international arena," he said.

"Allow me to say a few words also on what I believe are mutually reinforcing regional roles that Cyprus and Iran can play and how these can offer positively to the dialogue among civilizations," the Cypriot foreign minister said adding that President Khatami in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in 1999, when announcing the idea of dialogue of civilizations said, "One reason for the reception of dialogue was exceptional geographical position of Iran. Its location had placed it in the route of political hurricanes, as well as cultural exchanges and venues for international change.

"Both our countries are strategically located in parts of the globe which remain hot spots and which have seen wars and conflicts. Iran is located in an area where a substantial amount of the world's oil commerce is transported.

"We follow with great interest the discussions taking place regarding the various routes being considered and share with others the view that the consideration being given to the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline needs to be revised and the merits of a pipeline through Iran should be seen in a positive light," Kasoulides said.

Iran borders the oil and gas rich Caspian Sea, the countries of Central Asia and Caucasus, not to mention Turkey, Russia and Pakistan. Undoubtedly, events in this region have more than a ripple effect on the wider region including the Eastern Mediterranean, he noted.

"Iran has recognizably an important role to play and as such, Iran as a key country in the region can be a stabilizing factor. We view, for example, the cooperative spirit in the relations between Greece-Iran and Armenia positively and fully encourage development of these relations," the Cypriot foreign minister said.

The conference was held at the Institute for the Political and International Studies (IPIS) affiliated to the Iranian Foreign

Related Information...

Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News Archives