The Government's intention is through an honest dialogue process to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem, which will be for the benefit of all, Defence Minister Michael Giorgallas said on Saturday.
According to an official press release, the Defence Minister was speaking at an event in Serres, Greece, on the occasion of the 1974 coup and Turkish invasion anniversaries.
According to Giorgallas, the events marking the dark anniversaries of July and August 1974 "do not only contribute to the preservation of our historical memory, but are a perpetual reminder of our duty towards all our heroes, who, performing their duty towards their homeland to the fullest extent, sacrificed themselves to ensure the highest ideals of freedom, legality and justice in Cyprus".
He also noted that knowledge of history is an essential element, since it interprets aspects of the present and contributes decisively to the shaping of the future.
"Today we honour the memory of our fallen warriors and stand by the families of our missing persons in Greece and Cyprus. And history does not lapse and is not written off, it does not and cannot be abolished", he stressed, adding that it has been recorded as a historical fact that in the early hours of July 20, 1974, "Cyprus, overwhelmed by the conflicts of the coup, was brutally attacked by air and sea by the fierce military 'Attila' attack."
The Defence Minister went on to say that the soldiers of the Hellenic Force in Cyprus and the commandos of the Greek Alpha Raiders Squadron stood by the National Guard fighters, who in the summer of 1974 were called upon to repel Turkish aggression and defend the right and freedom of our people.
"We pay the appropriate tribute to all these children from Greece and Cyprus who sacrificed themselves defending our homeland, and at the same time we reflect on our own responsibility and our own debt towards them and towards history and future generations," he added.
Drawing on all the lessons that history has taught us, we must, with a sense of responsibility and unity, be worthy of the struggle and sacrifice of our heroes, Giorgallas stressed, adding that the current distorted state of affairs in Cyprus cannot continue to be the future of the country.
"The Turkish occupation cannot be perpetuated. We are very much aware that there are many difficulties. But it is our side's intention, through an honest process of dialogue, to reach a solution to the Cyprus problem, a solution that will guarantee the application of the acquis communautaire throughout Cyprus and the principles and values of the EU, freeing Cyprus from the anachronistic system of guarantees and foreign intervention, ensuring the withdrawal of occupying troops and settlers and allowing all legal residents of Cyprus to coexist free from racist divisions under a system of equality. Such a solution would be in the interest of everyone," he stressed.
Source: Cyprus News Agency