Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades arrives for an emergency Eurozone Summit on Greece at the European Council in Brussels, capital of Belgium, June 22, 2015. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)
NICOSIA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The "Belt and Road Initiative" is creating a win-win situation for all countries involved, Cyprus can and will be an active player in promoting its values, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said before his visit to China.
He hailed the "Belt and Road Initiative" as quite an ambitious project, which covers a geographical region that stretches from East Asia to Europe.
"It seeks to create a mutually beneficial framework, connecting the vibrant East Asia economic circle at one end and the European economic circle at the other, creating a win-win situation for all countries involved," said Anastasiades.
"We ... stand ready to cooperate closely with our Chinese, Asian and European partners in effectively supporting this initiative," Anastasiades told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the occasion of his state visit to the People's Republic of China.
He stressed that Cyprus is especially interested in successfully promoting the aims and values of the Silk Maritime Road as it is a key transit island of the Silk Road Maritime Trade Routes.
He pointed out that Cyprus is a European Union member state with a most unique geographical location, lying at the intersection of Africa, Asia and Europe, with a rich cultural heritage and a strong experience in providing financial services.
Anastasiades will attend the sessions of the Initiative during his visit, being the only EU leader to be invited to take part in the event.
Anastasiades said that during his meetings in Beijing he will exchange views with Chinese officials on the EU and China relations as well as on current regional issues in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.
Tourists ride camels at the Mingsha Hill in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Oct. 5, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoliang)
He said that Cyprus and China enjoy excellent and cordial relations in all fields since the establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1971. Furthermore, he added, the two countries share common values and they have established mutual understanding in various regional and international issues.
"It is, therefore, not a surprise that this visit has been very high on my agenda since assuming office. The objective of my visit is not only to reaffirm the excellent political and diplomatic relations between China and Cyprus, but also to strengthen and deepen them further," said Anastasiades.
Anastasiades, as the leader of the Greek Cypriot community, is currently engaged in negotiations with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mustafa Akinci, aimed at reunifying the island and bringing back together the two communities under a power-sharing scheme.
Anastasiades said he will have the opportunity to inform the leaders of China - a permanent member of UN Security Council - about the current state of negotiations.
The aim, he said, is to reach "a comprehensive, viable and lasting settlement to the Cyprus problem, which will reunify Cyprus and its people".
The Cypriot President said the objective of his visit is not only to reaffirm the excellent political relations between China and Cyprus, but also to build upon it to strengthen economic relations between the two countries.
He added that Cyprus has its doors open to Chinese companies eager to invest and promote business, and as a Member State of the European Union, it offers very attractive benefits and opportunities for Chinese companies to establish their activities and production units in Cyprus.
"Our aim is to continuously support the development of business and economic relations between Cyprus and China, especially in the fields of transport, tourism, energy, and telecommunications," said Anastasiades.
"I am definite that this visit will take the Cyprus-China relations to an even higher level," Anastasiades said.
