Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou, spoke of “a new period for the Cyprus problem with sincere political will”, noting that the appointment of the UNSG’s personal envoy for Cyprus, following the persistent efforts of the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides, leaves room for hope that there will be a constructive and productive discussion, which will create the conditions for resuming the talks from where they left off in 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
Kassianidou referred to developments in the Cyprus problem during a speech at the memorial service of Loukis Akritas and the mayors and municipal councillors of Turkish occupied Morphou.
She noted that “our mission is to preserve what the centuries and the history of Morphos of yesterday and today have bequeathed to us”. She added, moreover, that “the vindication of our struggle for freedom will be the best memorial for the late Loukis Akritas and all the former mayors and municipal councillors of our beloved Morphou.”
The Deputy
Minister said that the appointment of the UN Secretary General’s envoy, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, is considered “under the circumstances and the difficulties that existed on the national issue – due to the prolonged deadlock – as a very positive development.”
There is a hope “that this will create the climate for the resumption of a meaningful dialogue with the sole objective of a viable, final settlement of the Cyprus problem, on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality aligned with European principles and values.”
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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Source: Cyprus News Agency