The President of
the Republic, Mr Nicos Anastasiades, addressed today the 50th
national memorial service of the heroes of the Omorfita fighting, at the Agia Varvara
church in Kaimakli, Nicosia.
In his speech
the President of the Republic said, inter alia, the following on the Cyprus
problem: “We do not assert a solution of the Cyprus problem competitively or as
part of a blame game. I wish to make this clear both at the domestic front and abroad,
and to the Turkish and Turkish Cypriot side in particular: A blame game
situation is not to the advantage of the Greek Cypriot side. We are not
interested in who will be held accountable for the stalemate that will preserve
the partition of our country.
We are
interested in not having a stalemate. We are interested in reaching a
settlement. We are interested in a reunification that will be supported by the
people, will stand resilient to hardships, will create opportunities for growth
and prosperity and will safeguard the European principles and rules.
For this reason,
prior to engaging in a dialogue, we insist on having clarified the basic
principles of the solution of the Cyprus problem with clarity, leaving no room
for doubt; so as to discuss reunification and not the terms of a divorce.
We are deeply
convinced that only in such a way will the necessary impetus be created and the
dialogue be given a prospect. We hope that the Turkish Cypriot side will have a
similar response.
We hope that there
will be a change in the messages sent to us through the statements by the
Turkish Foreign Minister during his illegal visit yesterday to our occupied
homeland. We hoped that there would be some signs of hope, but I regret to say
that, unfortunately, what has been broadcasted by the media has exhausted our
patience and good will.
At long last, the
United Nations as well as the countries that have shown an interest in the
solution of the Cyprus problem should turn their attention to the side that
disputes the indisputable, that disputes the UN resolutions or the wording of
the resolutions and decisions of the Security Council, that disputes what has,
at times, been agreed between us, that wishes to degrade what is non-negotiable
for every citizen: Sovereignty. Under these circumstances one cannot expects us
to engage in a dialogue just to let time pass, thus providing an excuse for Mr
Eroglu who explicitly states that upon expiration of the timetable they have
set, they will proceed with the implementation of a Plan B.”
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