Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides once again expressed his belief that soon there will a substantial effort to achieve the goal of ending the Turkish occupation and reunite the island. Delivering a speech Saturday evening, during a commemorative event for fallen soldiers and missing persons in Potamia community in Nicosia, the President noted that despite the adverse conditions, the challenges, the disputes and the illegal visits by Turkish officials to the illegal entity in the occupied areas, there soon will be an attempt to put an end to the occupation and division. He pointed out that we have no other choice and that the current situation cannot be the future for our homeland. President Christodoulides said that the basis for a solution is the agreed framework of the bizonal bicommunal federation and the principles and values of the EU. He also said that diplomatic efforts by the government are underway in order to achieve our goals and bring the Turkish side to the negotiating table for a Cyprus solution. The President also said that the missing persons and those who sacrificed their lives for our country show as the way that we must follow and it is no other than to fight to put an end to the occupation. 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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency