Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades said he did “all that was humanely possible” for a dignified solution to the Cyprus problem, stressing the obligation to protect the Republic of Cyprus and the state, both politically, through the alliances Nicosia has forged, and through defence.
In his speech at a dinner held by the Limassol Association of Reserve Officers, on Friday evening, the President also said that the strategic cooperation with Israel has allowed the Republic of Cyprus to be able to defend itself effectively against modern weapon systems.
President Anastasiades said, that, himself has repeatedly demonstrated with actions that the desire of the Greek Cypriot side is to achieve a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem, based on some conditions or prerequisites, dictated by the resolutions of the United Nations, the principles and values of the European Union and by universal human values in general.
What we ask for, he said, is respect for the human rights of all, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. “We ask to be independent from any guarantees, to get rid of any occupation troops, to create a truly independent and sovereign state that is not controlled by third parties,” the President said, among other things.
Saying that he has a clear conscience that he did “all that was humanly possible” to achieve a dignified solution, President Anastasiades noted that, in the face of what is being recorded by Turkey’s behaviour, “everyone understands that our obligation is to, at least, protect the Republic of Cyprus, to protect the state that the freedom fighters founded with their blood, both politically, through the alliances we have forged and (we) cultivate, as well as through defence”.
The President also spoke about his retirement from politics, saying that “it’s time to hand over the reins to others” and that instead of being told, one has to have the strength to realise it on their own. His second term as President ends next year and he repeatedly said he will not be running for a third term.
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