The wise man always said to keep your friends close (and your enemies closer too – but that’s another matter), and Cyprus and China’s recent exchanges have only served to affirm the adage. Nicos Anastasiades, the President of the island country of Cyprus had nothing but good words to say for China and the relationship between the two nations.
Speaking on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China at the Chinese Embassy in Cyprus, President Anastasiades emphasized how the relationship between the two nations is based on mutual friendship and true friendship, which is bound to increase over time. He further elaborated how bilateral relations amidst the two countries had grown in a wide variety of fields such as commerce, energy, and investment, and of course, technology and tourism, and added how these relations will only serve to strengthen with the passage of time.
The President also extended his gratitude to the Chinese government for providing much-needed support to the Cypriot government, following a meeting between President Anastasiades and Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China, which was held on the sidelines of the UN Assembly. Huan Xingyuan, the ambassador of China in Nicosia, wished the Cypriot President a happy birthday, which was coincidentally on the same day, and emphasized on the importance of China to further the already very close bilateral relations between the two nations. The relationship between the two countries has warmed-up considerably in the last few years, with President Anastasiades visiting China in 2015 to establish firm business relations to allow for better trade and commercial activities, and with Chinese entrepreneurships and companies being given the green signal to invest in and increase their involvement in Cyprus, and avail some added opportunities and advantages.