The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said that the Republic of Cyprus is not alone in its struggle for the reunification of the island, but is a reliable and creative partner, on which countries with a particularly strong political and economic footprint rely.
“And this is because we managed to strengthen our political liability and to be considered as a pillar of security and stability,” he said during an event held in Nicosia on Wednesday evening.
President Christodoulides stated that he is proud because Cyprus has a strong geostrategic footprint, and that government makes use of it with a view to achieve with a view to terminate the Turkish occupation of the island and achieve its reunification.
He also noted that the EU membership, which is the greatest success of this country, is being used to the maximum extent, and the diplomatic horizon of Cyprus is being expanded.
Christodoulides moreover stressed that “the primary goal is none other than liberation, the end of the occupation, t
he reunification of our country.”
The President of the Republic pointed out that ending the current unacceptable state of affairs as regards the Cyprus issue is the first priority of the government, which undertakes initiatives to this end and intensifies efforts to resume negotiations.
Despite the negative approach of the Turkish Cypriot side so far, he expressed optimism that the occupation can be lifted.
“We remain committed to our goal,” he noted, adding that “we are very much aware of where we want to get to.”
At the same time, he noted that Cyprus moving forward together with its strategic partners and referred to his meeting on Wednesday with the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien, who visited Cyprus for the first Strategic Dialogue between Cyprus and the US.
“A Strategic Dialogue that the US maintains with a few countries, most of which are NATO member states,” he stressed.
He also noted the full understanding and cooperation that his government has w
ith the Greek Government.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency