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Cyprus supports Euro-Asia connectivity

15/07/2016 14:04
Cyprus is a fervent supporter of the strengthening of Asia-Europe connectivity in all its forms and there are areas of cooperation in the context of ASEM where a better collaborative approach would reap mutual benefits, President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has said.

Addressing the Plenary Session titled “Promoting ASEM Partnership for Greater Connectivity” in Mongolia, the President said that the first area where cooperation could be achieved is maritime security and transport, pointing out that Cyprus, as a leading maritime nation and flag-state, attributes particular importance to the sustainability and connectivity of critical maritime routes. To this effect, he said, we do see the added-value of exploring synergies such as between the Maritime Silk Route and the Trans-European Network projects.

He also referred to the areas of air transport, an area where we still have work to do on equitable market access to routes and destinations, including on direct air-links and the area of security in all of its dimensions, including energy security.

"Today our countries face a different mix of security threats, and I am a strong proponent of joint actions that foster a collective security culture in an enhanced Europe-Asia context. I truly hope, and I am committed to working with all of you towards this end, that the 11th ASEM Summit will contribute its own share to strengthening Asia-Europe connectivity and making the ASEM process more relevant in meeting the expectations of the people of Europe and Asia", he said.

The President also pointed out that during these challenging times, in which many of our countries are trying to find their way out of the economic crisis, which has had a major impact on our citizens` lives, turning our backs on connectivity between the two continents would not only be a historical mistake but would also severely undermine economic growth, poverty eradication and intra-regional cooperation.

"The European Union and ASEAN, though their initiatives, together with other counties, such as China with its “One Belt, One Road” initiative, are currently putting forth remarkable effort in creating connectivity through intra-regional networks, projects and policies in an array of sectors, as well as promoting and exploring practical ways of cooperation to this end", he added.