There is “no room for complacency” in Cyprus, due to both the unresolved nature of the Cyprus problem and international developments, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday.
Speaking at an event in the Troodos mountain village of Spilia to commemorate Eoka, the paramilitary organisation founded with the aim of uniting Cyprus with Greece, he said that “the ongoing occupation of half our homeland and the wars both in our region and internationally leave us no room for complacency”.
“We must work collectively and stay away from petty politics and expediency to bring Cyprus the change it deserves, its development, and restructuring in all sectors,” he added.
He was also keen to highlight the progress made on the Cyprus problem in recent months.
“Despite the adverse circumstances, despite the stalemate in which we have found ourselves since 2017, despite the Turkish side’s negative attitude, and despite any other challenges and difficulties, we have managed to restart the process and find ourselves now before the start of a new effort,” he said.
“Two envoys, one from the United Nations and one from the European Union, prove the truth of the matter and the result of our efforts.”
Meanwhile, at a separate event in the Limassol district village of Agros, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou stressed that the government is “working towards” a resolution to the Cyprus problem “with determination”.
“Our sole and unwavering goal is the reunification of our homeland, on the basis of the agreed framework and the [European Union’s acquis communautaire], with respect for European principles and values,” he said, referencing a bizonal, bicommunal, federal solution with political equality between Cyprus’ two main communities.
“Since taking on the governance of the country, [Christodoulides] has engaged in a targeted effort, with specific and realistic actions, which will create the conditions for the resumption of talks from the point at which they were interrupted in Crans Montana.”
He added that “despite the divisive rhetoric adopted by the Turkish side and its demands for a two-state solution, we are doing everything possible, utilising all the diplomatic means at our disposal”.
To this end, he said the government “succeeded in convening a first informal multilateral meeting” regarding the Cyprus problem in Geneva in March, while also highlighting the appointments of UN envoy Maria Angela Holguin and EU envoy Johannes Hahn.
On the matter of Hahn’s appointment, he said the EU’s “active presence” in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem “demonstrates the practical support given by our European family”.
He added that the Greek Cypriot side is now “intensively preparing in view of the upcoming enlarged meeting”, which is set to take place next month in July.
This work, he said, is being done “so as to create the appropriate conditions which will lead us to substantial progress and the resumption of dialogue”.
“Our ultimate goal is to achieve a functional and sustainable solution, which will ensure the rights of all legal citizens of the Republic of Cyprus, which we want to evolve into a normal state, free from an occupying army, guarantors, and interventionist rights,” he said.
Last week, Holguin had told Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis of a “failure to achieve the expected progress” on some issues related to the Cyprus problem.
She is expected to return to Cyprus after travelling to Brussels in early July, and then London.
Upon her departure from Cyprus last month, she had said that both Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and President Nikos Christodoulides “expressed willingness to make progress” towards achieving and implementing the confidence-building measures agreed upon at March’s enlarged meeting.
She met both Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar twice during her last visit to the island, with government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis saying that a tripartite meeting with Holguin and Tatar “would be beneficial and very useful”.
However, Tatar twice ruled out meeting Christodoulides in light of the arrests made by the Republic of Cyprus of people accused of selling Greek Cypriot-owned property in the north, saying that it is “not possible to talk about a healthy dialogue” between Cyprus’ two sides given the context.
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