Sole aim of NY meeting to have conditions for talks’ resumption, President says

President Nikos Chrstodoulides reiterated once again that he is going to the meeting with UNSG and Turkish Cypriot leader in New York next Monday with the sole goal of creating conditions so that the Cyprus reunification dialogue can resume. He added that he feels supported following the meeting of the National Council, which he described as most constructive.

Delivering a speech Monday, at the opening of a sculpture exhibition by sculptor Phillipos Yiapanis in Limassol, the President said that he is aware of the importance of the meeting in NYC and the responsibilities. He said that usually there is criticism by political opponents but the meeting of the National Council was one of the most constructive meetings.

The President noted that there was utmost respect of the different approaches and he feels more bolstered ahead of the meeting in NYC. His one and only objective, he said, is to create the conditions so that the dialogue can resume, in the agreed framework, that would lead to the reunification of
our homeland.

He praised the work of sculptor Yiapanis noting that he manages to transform his experiences into art, which is the universal language of communication and expression.

The exhibition is titled ‘”50 Years of Turkish invasion, 50 years of occupation, 50 years of refugees, 30 years of crying “.

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 Columbia 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