Greece and Cyprus are currently facing common international challenges, but the greatest and ongoing challenge is the Turkish occupation, and Greece is a steadfast ally and supporter of the effort to end it, Ambassador of Greece Konstantinos Kollias said on Tuesday.
Delivering a speech at the Doxology for October 28 “OXI” National Day at Apostle Barnabas Cathedral in Nicosia, the Ambassador said that Cyprus has Greece’s unwavering support for the national goal, adding that in this common effort Greece is “a steadfast ally, a sincere and selfless supporter”.
He went on to say that unbreakable national unity and consensus is undoubtedly the most important weapon we have.
Ambassador Kollias noted that Greece supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the Cyprus Government to resume negotiations from were they left off for a just, sustainable and functional solution.
The Ambassador assured that Greece is working alongside the Republic of Cyprus and the common effort for the Cyprus issue is ongoing and will remain unwavering as long as the occupation continues.
Kollias praised the Greek resistance in 1940, pointing out that today’s National Anniversary serves as a lighthouse and a thread that connects the past with the present.
He also referred to the heavy, national contribution of Cyprus to the struggle in 1940, saying that the Greeks of Cyprus, defying the colonial regime that prevailed on the island, poured into the streets with blue and white flags, singing our national anthem and more than 20,000 joined the army while hundreds were killed in battlefields, fighting for freedom and human dignity.
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.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected later this year.
María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.