Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides, expressed hope on Thursday evening that there would soon be news about developments as regards the resumption of talks for the settlement of the Cyprus problem. Speaking at the opening of an exhibition of the works of renowned Cypriot artist Michael Kashalos, in Mazotos, in Larnaca district, President Christodoulides referred to the 50th anniversary since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus - to be marked next week - and referred to half a century of continuous occupation. Referring to the village Kashalos was born, Assia, which is now under Turkish occupation President Christodoulides said that the peace and tranquility of life in Assia was disturbed in the most violent way in the summer of 1974 'when Turkish soldiers occupied the village and committed unspeakable atrocities'. Assia, is the community that suffered the most casualties during the Turkish invasion of 1974, after the Nicosia district, he said. Preserving the memory of our occupied territories is 'the absol ute act of national responsibility and obligation', he added, while also referring to everyone's responsibility 'to do everything possible to free our country and reunite it'. President Christodoulides also expressed hope that, within the coming days there would be news about developments towards the resumption of talks, 'which is the only path that will lead us to the much-desired reunification of our homeland'. Referring to the presence at the exhibition of the Deputy Ministers of Culture and European Affairs, he said that culture was 'one of the most powerful tools that we want to highlight' during Cyprus' Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026. 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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángel a 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