The Embassy of Israel in Cyprus marked the 68th Anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel with a reception event on the 21rst June 2016, at the Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia. Ambassador Yael Ravia Zadok welcomed over 250 guests, among them, Ministers, politicians, foreign diplomats, distinguished members from the business and economic sectors, as well as friends of Israel.
Addressing the guests, Ambassador Ravia-Zadok expressed her deep sorrow she feels about the tragic events and what Cyprus is going through in the last days. “We follow you from the sky, we follow you from the ground, and we do our best to be there for you. Our prayers, our teams, our pilots and 20 people who came especially from Israel, are with you”.
In her speech, Ambassador Ravia-Zadok noted that today Israel and Cyprus enjoy an unprecedented level of strong relations in all fields: political, commercial, in Health, Culture, Education, Defense, Energy, Tourism, Cyber and Innovation, to name just a few. “Both leaderships are committed to develop further this cooperation, and they share the same vision to strengthen the historical bonds between the two peoples”, she said.
“Israel-Cyprus relations can serve far beyond their mutual bilateral interests; this common fabric of ties may inspire extended regional cooperation, contributing to further stability, security and prosperity in the area”, concluded Ambassador Yael Ravia Zadok.
In his speech, Defense Minister, Christoforos Fokaides stressed that the partnership with Israel has far more than a declaratory value; it is of critical importance in a region faced with ongoing turmoil in a multitude of manifestations. “We two democratic states of the region, choose to stand together as focal points of stability in this part of the world. The complex challenges we are faced with and the range of asymmetric threats that plague our wider region require common effort and joint action”