Greece – Cyprus cooperation a must in face of challenges, Sakellaropoulou says

The cooperation between Greece and Cyprus in the face of modern challenges is crucial and necessary, not only for defending democracy, the rule of law and human rights, but also for Cypriot Hellenism itself, said the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, during a ceremony on Tuesday evening at the University of Cyprus where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education, in the presence of Cyprus President, Nikos Christodoulides.

Sakellaropoulou, in her speech, said, among other things, that the cooperation between Greece and Cyprus in the face of modern challenges was crucial and necessary, not only for defending democracy, the rule of law and human rights, but also for Cypriot Hellenism itself.

In this context, she added, higher education in Cyprus carries out a leading national task, ‘that of forging the unity of Hellenism in the face of every attempt for its erosion.’

Referring to this year’s 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occ
upation of Cyprus, Sakellaropoulou noted that democracy was ‘an integral part’ of a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, since, as she said, it is necessary to shape a constitutional order that would ensure the basic principles of the democratic political system and the functionality of the state of the Republic of Cyprus in a reunited federal Cyprus.

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