Kato polemidia: Greek Cypriot side shows consistency, reliability and a constructive attitude, and President Christodoulides will show the same approach during his meeting on August 26th, ready to discuss positively and constructively all issues that can contribute to the effort for progress in the Cyprus issue, Minister of Agriculture Christos Senekis said on Sunday.
According to Cyprus News Agency, in a memorial speech at the memorial service of the fallen and a prayer for the missing persons of the occupied Argaki community, at Saint Nicholas church in Kato Polemidia, the Minister said that we do not ignore the difficulties or the positions that are not within the agreed framework but we will continue the struggle to get to the point of substantial progress.
Senekis said that after a long period of stagnation, there is renewed mobility around the Cyprus issue and the personal involvement of the United Nations Secretary-General, his recent presence in Cyprus and his decision to proceed with a new, expanded meeting create a new perspective, which we approach with cautious optimism.
He went on to point out that the goal of the Greek Cypriot side is clear and that is the resumption of substantive negotiations from where they left off in 2017 at Crans Montana with a more active European involvement, following the appointment of the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission as the EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus issue.
He also said that the solution of the Cyprus problem is the highest national priority for the government which is working towards the end of the Turkish occupation, and the liberation of the homeland, through a viable and functional solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions, the agreed framework and the negotiating acquis, with full respect for the principles and values of the European Union.
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 due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.