Speech by King Willem-Alexander at the state banquet during the state visit to Cyprus, Nicosia
Mr President,
Ms Karsera,
What a pleasure it is to be your guests. My wife and I are honoured and moved to be paying a state visit to your country at your invitation. The first ever state visit by a Dutch monarch to the Republic of Cyprus.
It’s extra special for another reason: our visit is taking place in the year your country celebrates 65 years of independence.
Cyprus: where the goddess Aphrodite was born from the foam of the sea. A country with thousands of years of civilisation, whose ancient traces are still visible all around. But also a country of impressive renewal, which is constantly broadening its economy. A strong partner for the 21st century.
When the waters become rough, Cyprus is a safe haven. We are grateful for the support you provide when it’s needed most. In a crisis, we know that we can rely on you to provide emergency reception and help us repatriate our citizens.
It’s impressive how you have succeeded over the years in putting this partnership on an increasingly professional footing. The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca, which we visited this afternoon, is a good example.
Next month the Netherlands looks forward to participating in Argonaut, the annual evacuation exercise that you organise so skilfully.
Cyprus proves that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
For many Cypriots, the Netherlands is not some distant, unfamiliar country. Remarkably, a large number of your young people end up forming friendships with each other in our country. Every year we welcome around 700 students from Cyprus. In fact, one of your own daughters has chosen to study in the Netherlands as well.
Our country may only get one tenth of the sunshine you enjoy here in Cyprus. But fortunately, young Cypriots don’t let that put them off, and they feel at home with us further north.
For its part, Cyprus has for many years been welcoming students from Leiden, who are helping with excavations around Paphos – your birthplace – and elsewhere. It’s fantastic that they are able to improve their expertise here, where Europe’s early civilisation blossomed.
The exchange of knowledge and experience – in whatever form – is essential to our future. It’s crucial not only to students, but to all of us.
We saw a good example of this earlier today, when we visited Liopetri.
There we met a potato farmer who uses Dutch seed potatoes that thrive in ‘red soil’. This is a fine illustration of how we work together on important topics that matter to us both.
Mr President, your invitation for this state visit is confirmation of the close ties that have developed between our two countries. But it means more than that alone.
It holds a mutual promise for the future. A future in which we will continue to support and strengthen each other as friends and equal partners in Europe.
In the first half of next year, Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time. We look forward to it.
Europe’s south east and north west have come together. And we will never be parted.
May I ask you all to raise your glasses and join me in a toast.
To your health, Mr President and Ms Karsera!
And to the friendship between the Republic of Cyprus and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.