Mikhail Zyazikov: As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has repeatedly noted, protecting the interests of Russian citizens and compatriots living abroad is an ongoing priority in the work of the Russian Foreign Ministry and its foreign missions, and its importance in the current geopolitical situation is only growing. The Embassy traditionally pays close attention to close interaction with compatriots, of whom there are over 120 thousand people in Cyprus, which is more than 10% of the population of the entire island.
As part of the ongoing work to solve the current problems of our fellow citizens, strengthen their internal consolidation, we successfully involve representatives of the Russian diaspora to actively participate in joint cultural, patriotic, spiritual and educational activities in connection with Victory Day and Russia Day, the decade of the Russian Language, Family Day, Love and Fidelity, the Day of the National Flag of the Russian Federation, as well as for the National Unity Day. A unique religious event for the entire local Russian-speaking community, a vivid confirmation of the unity of believers in Russia and Cyprus, was the consecration last May of the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Limassol. With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the beautiful church with magnificent decorations now gives all “Cypriot” Orthodox Russians the opportunity to maintain and maintain an indissoluble spiritual connection with their Homeland. For my part, I always try to personally find opportunities for informal meetings with compatriots in order to talk directly, listen to information about their aspirations and concerns, learn about problems and moods, and, if necessary, “manually” provide them with the necessary assistance.
A truly historic milestone in our work with compatriots was the opening last August of the Office of the Consular Department of our diplomatic Mission in Nicosia in the northern part of Cyprus, where more than 50 thousand of our fellow citizens live. Celebrating the anniversary of this event the other day, we were pleased to welcome the ten thousandth visitor to this consular office. This, without exaggeration, impressive figure and the general rhythmic dynamics of the growth in the number of Russians contacting us with requests indicate the unconditional demand for our humanitarian presence in this territory. The work is carried out in a calm and friendly atmosphere, and compatriots express their deep gratitude for the opportunity provided by the Russian state to access the full range of services within the competence of the consular department of the embassy.
It is gratifying that all of the above causes genuine interest and finds a sincere response from our fellow citizens who have moved to Cyprus. The best confirmation of this was the convincing victory of the current President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, following the results of the voting in Cyprus in March this year as part of the presidential elections. The vast majority of Russians temporarily staying or permanently residing on the island demonstrated a deeply responsible approach and voted in support of our national leader. I think it is fundamentally important to emphasize at the same time that the highest electoral activity shown here by our compatriots demonstrated the unity of genuine patriots of their Homeland, unique for the EU country, in choosing the best future for it. In the current difficult geopolitical realities, despite all kinds of Western sanctions and the incessant Russophobic attacks of the “near political” marginals sponsored by them, the level of trust of our fellow citizens in the head of the Russian state is unshakable and continues to grow.
For our part, we will continue to do everything necessary to assist compatriots in Cyprus in protecting their legitimate rights, interests, and implementing useful public and educational initiatives.
