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The President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, and the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, met at the Presidential Residence in Moscow, where they held private talks, followed by extended consultations of the delegations of the two countries.

Following the working lunch, the President of Cyprus and the President of Russia signed the Joint Action Program between the Republic of Cyprus and the Russian Federation for 2015-2017, which constitutes an umbrella document, covering numerous areas of the prolific cooperation between the two countries.

In the presence of the two Presidents, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Finance of Cyprus and the Ministry of Education and Sciences of Russia for cooperation in the fields of research and technology. Also, the Protocol of the 8th Cyprus-Russia Intergovernmental Committee for Economic Cooperation was signed, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Defence of the two countries for cooperation in the naval field.

In addition, a Program of Cooperation was signed between the two countries in the field of Sciences, Education and Culture for the period 2015-2018. Finally, Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency and the corresponding organisation of Russia, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the Central Bank of Russia and the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission; among other cooperation.

In his opening statement President Putin, speaking through an interpreter, said:

“Our negotiations with the President of the Republic of Cyprus took place in a constructive and positive atmosphere. In August of this year, 55 years will be completed since the day that diplomatic relations were established between our countries. The Russian-Cypriot relations were always friendly and mutually beneficial. Today’s meeting fully confirmed it.”

“The bilateral legal framework numbers more than 40 agreements. A series of new documents were just signed, among them a joint program of action for 2015-2017 that aims, among other things, also to the stimulation of the economic cooperation,” continued Putin. “We provided a big stabilising loan of 2.5 billion euro. We responded and restructured the loan with more beneficial terms”. Putin also referred to the purchase by the Russian side of Eurobonds for a total of 750 billion euro, and spoke about his country’s continued cooperation in the field of energy in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

On his part, President Anastasiades said that “today’s consultations have an extremely significant political and socio-economic meaning and, aside from everything else, demonstrate the importance that Cyprus and the Russian Federation attribute to the dialogue between them and to the further deepening of their relations.” “Relations that are not affected by strategic cooperation of one or the other country, because it is mutually understood that such choices are not directed against any third country, but to the contrary, they aim to strengthening further the traditional and over the years historic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Cyprus,” added Anastasiades.

During his visit to Russia, Anastasiades also met with the President of the Russian Government, Dmitry Medvedev, and gave at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations MGIMO.