Cooperation with Greek and other organisations, meetings with political leaders, events, and articles in the media, are among the actions of the International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), in the US, Europe and elsewhere, to promote the Cyprus problem and efforts to support the struggle for to end the Turkish occupation of the island.
PSEKA presented on Thursday its actions, in the context of the World Conference of Overseas Cypriots, taking place in Nicosia this week.
The President of the Organisation, Philip Christopher, said among other things that, PSEKA was founded in 1976 with the aim of justice for Cyprus.
In the US, he said, they work very closely with the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), the American Hellenic Alliance, the Armenian national committee, the American Jewish Committee, the Kurdish National Committee and other organisations.
Christopher said that they were focusing on three issues; the visa liberalisation issue for holders of passpo
rts of the Republic of Cyprus travelling to the US, the lifting of the US arms embargo on Cyprus which is reviewed annually, and for which he expressed hope it would be extended, and the promotion of Cyprus-US relations.
PSEKA Vice Presidents in the UK, France, Greece, Canada, South Africa, other African countries, Australia and Austria, presented the actions they organised in their countries to raise awareness on the Cyprus issue especially this year, on the 50th anniversary since the Turkish invasion, and to keep the memory alive, with meetings and cooperation with political leaders in their countries of residence, events, concerts, articles in local media, and the creation of parks and monuments dedicated to Cyprus, among other things.
The need to keep alive the interest of the young Cypriots abroad was also mentioned, as well as requesting more help from the Cyprus Government to provide leaflets in English so that they can be distributed among the youth so that they can learn about the Cyprus issue.
Cy
prus 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.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed last January María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency