Nicosia: House President, Annita Demetriou, received on Friday a delegation of foreign dignitaries from Greece, the United Kingdom, and Serbia who are in Cyprus to attend the anti-occupation event organized by the Municipality of occupied Famagusta on Saturday, at the Cultural Center of Deryneia Municipality.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Demetriou emphasized the importance of their presence in Cyprus and discussed the visit of UNSG Ant³nio Guterres, underlining the Greek Cypriot side's objective to resume substantive negotiations from where they left off in 2017 in Crans Montana. These negotiations aim for a just and sustainable solution, aligned with international law and relevant UN resolutions.
She also mentioned the visit of the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Special Representative for Cyprus, Raffaele Fitto, noting the European Union's enhanced role in the efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue.
The Mayor of Famagusta, Simos Ioannou, briefed the President of the parliament about the anti-occupation march planned on Saturday, where a resolution will be delivered to a representative of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. The foreign officials expressed their support for the ongoing efforts to resolve the Cyprus situation.
Cyprus has remained divided since 1974, following Turkey's invasion and occupation of its northern third. Previous UN-led peace talks have failed to produce results due to Turkish intransigence. The last round of negotiations in July 2017 at Crans-Montana ended without conclusion.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term is nearing its end, announced plans to convene another meeting in a broader format after adequate preparation, although no timeline has been provided. He has secured the consensus of both sides and the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is engaging with the involved parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto serves as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding Johannes Hahn.