President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has said that many times since the Crans Montana UN-backed talks, he submitted creative proposals for a solution, without taking into consideration the political cost, reminding of the Turkish intransigence that hasn’t allowed for peace talks to resume so far.
In a message on the occasion of the Independence Day, the President underlines that in Crans-Montana negotiations, in the summer of 2017, we succeeded in bringing Turkey before its responsibilities for the first time, in order to discuss security and the withdrawal of the Turkish occupying forces, and we succeeded in having the UN Secretary General table a six-point framework, which the Turkish side undermined.
The President said that all the proposals he tabled since then, had of course in mind the strictly defined red lines that we jointly formed as political leadership.
President Anastasiades emphasises that his wish for a solution continues to be strong and sincere, but this wish has always conflicted with Turkish intransigence, which in recent years has become even more aggressive, with claims for recognition of sovereignty of the regime in the occupied areas of the island.
He said that Turkey, with its policy, statements and daily challenges, is now moving completely outside the framework of the international law which it has been violating for years and of the rational approach by attempting to create tensions and insecurity in the region.
In his message the President says that in the past ten years of his tenure has done its utmost to end the division and occupation. He also said that in the 62 years since the establishment of the Cyprus Republic, nothing has derailed us from the steady path forward.
He mentioned that this path forward reflects in the daily progress in all sectors, the economic stability that we have achieved with the sacrifices of the citizens, the major projects for our country, the high level of education of our citizens, the welfare state and the well-being of our society and the commitment for the future of our homeland. The President also referred to the national plan “Cyprus of Tomorrow” which he described as a great legacy.
He went on to say that this great vision for tomorrow cannot be detached from our wish to find a viable and functional solution to the Cyprus problem that will provide the opportunity for peaceful and creative coexistence with our Turkish Cypriot compatriots.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. The latest round of talks, under the UN aegis, to reunite the island under a federal roof, took place in the summer of 2017 in the Swiss resort of Crans Montana but failed to yield results.
Source: Cyprus News Agency