President Mahmoud Abbas said tonight at a dinner party his Cypriot counterpart, President Nicos Anastasiades, held in his honor in Nicosia that this visit will be of great importance in strengthening relations between their two friendly countries and peoples.

President Abbas thanked his counterpart for the warm welcome he received during the visit.

“I am pleased to be among you on this day, my friends, and I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you and to His Excellency the President for the kind invitation to visit Cyprus, and for the warm welcome we received from you. Cyprus and Palestine have strong and developed relations. I am confident that this visit will be of great importance in strengthening relations between the two friendly countries and peoples,” said President Abbas.

“You were, and still are, loyal friends to the principles, and you have always supported the just cause of our people and their inalienable national rights in international bodies and forums. You have recognized the State of Palestine in order to enable the Palestinian people to gain their freedom and independence in their sovereign state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he added.

“Peace is our goal and desire, and for a just and comprehensive peace to be achieved, international law and resolutions of the international legitimacy must be respected, the historical injustice that befell our people 74 years ago must be lifted, and the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine must be ended.”

President Abbas added: “We count on your continued honorable support, creation of initiatives and advancing peace efforts at European and international levels and in international forums in order to achieve justice, peace, stability, security and good neighborliness for all in our region.”

The President thanked the Cypriot leader for his positions and all the political and economic support offered by Cyprus, stressing that he is looking forward to strengthening the bonds of relations and activating the joint committee between their two countries to expand cooperation in various fields of interest to both sides.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)