The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, expressed the hope that the foundations will be laid for the resumption of negotiations on the Cyprus issue in New York, stressing that he is working intensively, in cooperation with Greece, to achieve this goal, speaking at a multi-generational event that took place in Queens, NY. President Christodoulidis also stated that he expects that during the week of the United Nations General Assembly there will be specific developments regarding the Cyprus issue.
"With perseverance and the stubbornness that characterizes each of us, with unwavering determination, we have succeeded in these 18 months, with your help, to rekindle international interest in the Cyprus issue, and I really hope that this week in New York the foundations will be laid for resumption of negotiations as soon as possible," he said.
"I really hope so, this is our goal through my contacts and that of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the end of the week of the UN General Assembly to have concrete announcements for the resumption of negotiations or at least a joint meeting that will be able lead to a resumption of negotiations," he said.
The President emphasized the importance of supporting the Cypriot diaspora, which keeps alive the vision of the reunification of Cyprus. He expressed the desire to institutionalize pan-generational meetings, considering them as an important step in maintaining the close relationship between Cyprus and Cypriots living abroad. He noted that the presence of the diaspora, especially in the United States, is a powerful weapon for Cyprus at the political level and stressed that their contribution remains decisive in maintaining international pressure on Turkey and finding a solution to the Cyprus conflict.
The President of the Republic referred to the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion, underlining the need to liberate and reunify the country.
"In 1974, our homeland suffered a double rape, the treacherous coup and then the Turkish invasion, which seriously injured it, divided it, bent it, but despite the continuous efforts of some to annihilate it, it did not destroy it," he said.
He praised the support of the diaspora and expressed his belief that Cyprus can offer solutions to regional issues, while he reiterated his commitment to finding a sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem.
"This year we count 50 consecutive tragic summers and many open wounds. But at the same time, and despite the persistent efforts of some to the contrary, we count 50 years in which the Cypriot people, Hellenism as a whole, did not compromise, did not resign and did not forget. Despite the difficulties, the pain, the problems, we did not become complacent and did not give up on the effort to reunify our country", he stressed.
"Fifty years after the barbaric Turkish invasion, our country remains divided, continues to be under occupation, with thousands of displaced, missing, trapped and occupied troops. And all that I mentioned above is not repeated anniversary rhetoric, but is the reality in a country, an EU member state," he said.
"The tragic summer of 1974 and everything that happened and everything that continues to happen, have defined and continue to define the course of our country but also the course of all of us, our lives, our everyday life. They define at the same time our expectations, our responsibilities for liberation, for ending the occupation, for reunification and for returning to our ancestral homes", he emphasized.
As President Christodoulidis mentioned, the continuous occupation of Cyprus by Turkey is a source of pain and concern for the Republic of Cyprus and Cypriots around the world. Despite the difficulties, he emphasized, the Cypriot people, both in Cyprus and in the diaspora, have not compromised nor forgotten the goal of reunification.
He also mentioned the strengthening of relations with the USA. "During this year and a half of our administration, we have managed to substantially strengthen our bilateral relations with the United States by signing the Strategic Partnership Framework. A Framework that the United States has only signed with less than 40 countries, most of which are NATO member states," he said.
"In the same context as what I mentioned above, our role and speech within the European Union has been substantially strengthened, highlighting with actions and not just statements, the importance of our country for the European Union, the other Member States and the challenges that face When the crisis in our region started last October, our country, in addition to the initial announcement we made about the initiative - which some people mocked us in Cyprus - our country was used as a transit station by EU countries and third countries. We were ready from day one with a specific plan and we met our specific obligation," he noted.
Even today when, unfortunately, the situation in the region is difficult, no one can know how the events are developing, we are ready as the Republic of Cyprus to respond, he further emphasized.
In addition, the President underlined the importance of Cyprus' international position and economic development as factors of power that strengthen efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue. He also mentioned specific initiatives that have been undertaken, such as the creation of the maritime corridor for humanitarian aid in Gaza, as an example of a successful initiative by Cyprus, which shows that Cyprus can play an important role on the world stage beyond the Cyprus problem.
As the president of the Republic mentioned, the initiative of the humanitarian corridor, although it was initially questioned by some, proved that the Republic of Cyprus can play a wider role in the international arena and is not only known for the Cyprus problem.
"The recognition of our role in the region, the continuous strengthening of relations with strong actors of the international system such as the United States and France, a strong, resilient and competitive economy, successfully dealing with immigration - another huge challenge when we took over," he pointed out. "We have the political will, we know where we want to go, we take initiatives, we have the initiative of movements and we are not afraid of dialogue at all. We give importance to the factors I mentioned above and use them to achieve the solution of the Cyprus problem. There is no other way for a small country, in an area of particular geostrategic importance, under occupation, to be able to cope with today's challenges", said the President of the Republic.
The event was also welcomed by the President of the American Cypriot Federation, Mr. Kyriakos Papastylianou, the President of PSEKA, Mr. Philip Christopher, the President of AHERA, Mr. Savvas Tsivikos, and the President of the Hellenic-American Chamber, Ms. Maria Papas, while a tribute was shown was prepared by the General Directorate of Security for the black anniversary of the invasion.
Earlier, the President of the Republic had a meeting with the leadership of the diaspora, which he informed about the latest developments in the Cyprus conflict.
