The President of the Republic,
MrNicosAnastasiades, met this morning, in Athens, with the Prime Minister of
Greece, MrAntonis Samaras and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Foreign Affairs, MrEvangelos Venizelos. The focus of the meeting was on the consultations
and national understanding in relation to the latest developments on the Cyprus
problem.
Following the meeting between the
delegations at the Maximos Mansion, the President of the Republic made the
following statement:
“First and foremost, I would like to
profoundly thank the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs for
the immediate response to the request to meet today. A meeting aimed at fully and
completely briefing the Greek Government, the Prime Minister, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, their collaborators for the great effort we are making in
achieving a Joint Communiqué with substantial content, which will create the
prospects and conditions, so that by entering into a substantial and productive
dialogue, there will be prospect to end up with a solution that will be viable,
lasting, functional, that will safeguard our presence in the European Union,
but most importantly, will safeguard human rights and the implementation of the
European acquis in the entire territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
I must say that from the procedures to
date, it is possible to conclude to this Joint Communiqué soon, which I must
say safeguards the important principles and basis for a solution. Fundamental
principles, like a single sovereignty, a single international personality, a
single nationality, but at the same time, the materialization and
implementation of human rights for all Cypriots and especially the extension
and implementation of the European acquis.
We are on a common path with the Greek
Government. I believe that our cooperation will create the prospects for
national understanding, which are necessary in order to move forward.
What I would like to say is that the
hardest will follow. The Joint Communiquédoes not constitutethe solution to the
Cyprus problem, but sets the parameters along which the two communities must
move, but also Turkey, in order to achieve a solution that is accepted by the
Greek Cypriots, without ignoring the rights of the Turkish Cypriots. Thank
you.”
On his part the Greek Prime Minister
noted the following:
“We welcome again to Athens the friend,
President of the Republic of Cyprus, NicosAnastasiades. With the President, and
Mr Venizelos of course, we had a thorough discussion on the latest developments
and the prospects for resolving the Cyprus problem, and in particular, on the
issue of the resumption of the negotiations of the two communities under the
aegis of the United Nations.
President Anastasiades has made clear
that such a thing requires an agreement on a Joint Communiqué, which will
reaffirm the basis of the negotiations, as this is defined by the decisions of
the UN Security Council and Cyprus’ capacity as EU member state. On my behalf,
I would like to reiterate that the Cyprus problem constitutes the top national
issue of Greece’s foreign policy and that the cornerstone of our policy on the
Cyprus problem is the constant consultation and cooperation with the Government
of the Republic of Cyprus.
Our joint objective is the termination
of the illegal Turkish occupation and the attainment of a comprehensive,
agreed, just, viable and functional solution, which will fully ensure a single
and indivisible sovereignty, a single international personality, a single
citizenship of the reunified Cyprus, Cyprus’ capacity as EU member state and
Eurozone member, and the implementation of the acquis communautaire in the
entire Cypriot territory.
Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will
sit at the negotiating table and they have the responsibility to lead the
negotiation to a final settlement. Lessons should, of course, be learned from
recent, as well as very recent, phases in the Cyprus problem’s course, and the
preconditions of the most wide national consensus must be upheld. In any case,
such a solution must be accepted through a referendum and specifically, in two
simultaneous referenda, in which the lawful members of the two communities will
take part.
Greece, Mr President, will continue to
support the efforts you are making both regarding the procedure and the
substance of the Cyprus problem.
Lastly, I would like to reiterate, and I
consider this important, that Greece will continue to fully support the
Republic of Cyprus during the exercise of its sovereign rights in its Exclusive
Economic Zone. These rights emanate from international law and are recognized
by the total of the international community with the exception of Turkey, which
unfortunately insists on unacceptable and ultimately futile tactics of tension
escalation and imposition of new facts. We welcome you once again and thank you
very much.”
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