STATEMENT BY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
ACHILLEAS DEMETRIADES
TO MARK THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE
OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
EMBARGOED: SATURDAY 1st OCTOBER, 2022
October 1st reminds us of an important day in our modern history. It also reminds us of the big responsibilities we all have towards our country.
October 1st marks Cyprus’ Independence. For the first time in our long history, we gained our independence and acquired a Constitution with the Zurich and London Agreements.
Today we honour the huge efforts to change our fate, the efforts to rid ourselves of British colonial rule and consequently define our course with wisdom and rationale.
Unfortunately, this has not been achieved. The 1974 military coup and the Turkish invasion that followed changed the situation which was established in 1960 and today we are called upon to address enormous dangers and very difficult situations.
October 1st is a day of honour but also a day of responsibility. A day to reflect and take decisions. The absolute impasse in the Cyprus problem of the past five years shows that the risk of division is increasingly evident. We must do whatever is necessary to avert this danger and honour the struggles of our people. We have to exploit our own advantages and offer Cyprus different prospects.
Our EU membership is our shield. The “two keys” toward change – EU-Turkey relations and natural gas – provide us with significant advantages. Regain our credibility, reclaim the initiative to move forward. Work on a “European Action Plan” to bring to the forefront the comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the parameters defined by the UN.
October 1st is a symbol of the highest duty we all have: to love our country even more and create a better Cyprus than the one we received from the previous generations! To give the country the fundamental freedoms it deserves to have. I believe this objective is feasible: a single and united Cyprus, without occupation forces and without rights of guarantee, a normal country for all Cypriots.
Source: Cyprus News Agency