Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he hoped the presidents of Israel, Cyprus and Lebanon could meet, describing such a gathering as a personal “dream” during talks with President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia.
Tourism, trade, security, energy, defence and regional developments were on the agenda as Herzog made a working visit to Cyprus.
“My dream is that we can meet with the President of Lebanon, the President of Cyprus and the President of Israel, even here, and I hope that one day we can make such a dream come true,” Herzog said.
He said the region needed to move towards peace while ensuring that terrorism was rejected and eliminated, for the benefit of the region and the wider world.
Christodoulides, welcoming Herzog at the Presidential Palace, said he looked forward to discussing how the two countries could further strengthen their strategic partnership across all areas.
On tourism, he said Cyprus had recorded a record number of flights from Israel this summer, at more than 200 a week, compared with an average of about 140.
Christodoulides said the two presidents would also exchange views on regional developments and discuss how they could work with other like-minded countries to create conditions for stability, security and cooperation.
He welcomed Herzog as someone who was “not a stranger to us”, pointing to what he described as the Israeli president’s family’s deep-rooted personal connection with Cyprus.
Herzog thanked Christodoulides for the welcome and spoke of his longstanding affection for the island.
“I love your country and I grew up loving it from childhood, and it is always wonderful to visit,” he said, adding that he saw Cyprus developing and progressing each time he visited.
Herzog called Christodoulides “a great friend” and said Israel valued its dialogue with him, as well as what he described as the Cypriot president’s “open and honest approach” to the issues under discussion.
He said he was bringing “a message of friendship from Israel” and expressed hope that the two countries could further strengthen what he called their “unique partnership”, which he said was particularly important for both peoples.
The two presidents are holding a private meeting, to be followed by a working lunch.
(Information from Cyprus News Agency)
