The European Union constitutes the best safeguard for implementing a solution to the Cyprus problem and for a peaceful future in Cyprus, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Saturday.
The President made the statement upon arriving at the old Nicosia Town Hall for the opening of the Photography and Newspaper Exhibition titled ’70 Years of EOKA 1955-1959′, organized by the PIO in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior.
Invited to comment on the reaction of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhrman, to the President’s statement on the need for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus and the abolition of the guarantees, the President said that ‘my statement on the abolition of the outdated guarantees system and the withdrawal of Turkish troops was not a response to the four points raised by the Turkish Cypriot leader. It was a reiteration of the long-standing position of the Greek Cypriot side, which becomes even more relevant when taking into account many factors, particularly the fact that the Republic of Cyprus is an EU member state.’
He went on to stress that the EU ‘is the best safeguard both for the implementation of the solution and for a peaceful future in Cyprus.’
Beyond that all these issues ‘need to be discussed at the negotiating table, negotiations continuing from where they left off in Crans-Montana,’ he said, adding that ‘this is the major effort we are making, and I truly hope, always with a positive approach, because for us the current status quo cannot be the solution to the Cyprus problem, and with goodwill we are ready to immediately return to the negotiating table.’
Referring to the PIO’s exhibition on the 1955-1959 EOKA struggle, he said that resolving the Cyprus problem will be sustainable through respect and recognition of each side’s history, and not through self-negation.
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.