“Moderately optimistic” and “realistic” about the continuity that can exist in the effort to resolve Cypruswhich is ongoing, declared that he is the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidisduring his speech at an event of the Macedonian Studies Society (EMS) dedicated to the victims of the Cyprus tragedy.

“I have the honor to represent the Cypriot people and to be the first President of the post-war generation. From the first day I took office, I launched an international campaign to put Cyprus back on the path of negotiations with the aim of seeking a functional and sustainable solution, under the auspices of the United Nations, on the basis of the agreed framework, the negotiating acquis and the principles and values ​​of the European Union,” said Mr. Christodoulidis and noted: “I am pleased to see that this great effort is gradually bearing fruit and I remain modestly optimistic about the future. I am neither downplaying the problems nor the challenges. At the same time I know very well that the current state of affairs cannot be the future of our country. We support the initiative of the United Nations and we are investing in this new effort, having the conviction that if there is a positive response from the Turkish side, the conditions can be created to put the Cypriot claim on the tracks of the negotiation process.

And I am satisfied because the international actor, all the important actors from Europe to America, the Permanent Members of the Security Council, the Secretariat of the United Nations and the institutions of the European Union, recognize the efforts we are making, our political will, our they credit with good intentions and with sincerity for the solution of the Cyprus problem. All our actions move in the direction of an honest and sincere effort to put an end to the unacceptable status quo created by the illegal Turkish occupation for fifty years.

I repeat that I know first hand the difficulties and the obstacles, the challenges, we have a full understanding of the relationship of forces and, of course, we are realistic enough not to be ethereal. However, precisely because we are pragmatists we consistently pursue a strategy based on a Thucydian understanding of international relations and the importance of power factors and synergies with other forces in achieving a goal. It is in this context that we take advantage of the European status of the Republic of Cyprus, strengthen the network of synergies that we maintain with third countries, strengthen our diplomatic footprint and expand our power factors”.

Referring to his visit to the White House and the meeting he had with Joe Biden, he emphasized that it was a historic meeting, after 28 years, between a US president and the President of the Republic of Cyprus and was “a result of the upgraded role played by the Cypriot Democracy, in the turbulent and particularly geostrategically important region of the wider Middle East”.

“The excellent relations we maintain with all the countries of the region make us reliable, an honest mediator, trusted by all. And within this context, but also due to its geographical proximity, the Republic of Cyprus, the closest member state of EU in the region, functions (with actions and not words) as a pillar of stability and as a bridge of security and cooperation”, said Mr. Christodoulidis and added: “This fact, which gives the Republic of Cyprus comparative advantages that we use in order to we also have positive developments in the efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, it is neither opportunistic nor accidental. It is the result of a specific plan that we are implementing. The latest positive developments prove this role of Cyprus.

The upgraded role of Cyprus, as a pillar of stability in the region, is recognized, in addition to the countries of the region, by both the USA and the European Union. Another illustrative example is our role during crises by using it as a safe transit station for the removal of foreign nationals from the Middle East region. In addition, the “Amalthia” Plan of the Republic of Cyprus to create a safe maritime humanitarian corridor to provide aid to the civilian population of Gaza, was recognized and embraced by the international community, strengthening the political as well as diplomatic footprint of our country.”

Mr. Christodoulidis spoke about the 50th anniversary of the Turkish occupation in Cyprus and remarked: “The fifty years of continuous foreign occupation, out of the total 64 years of the life of the Republic of Cyprus, may seem like a short period in the long historical time or in the wider perspective of the Eastern question of the last centuries. However, for all of us, for Cyprus and for its inhabitants, the tragic events of the coup, the invasion and the occupation of a large part of our homeland, leave a heavy stamp on our daily life, on the future of place and our children.

This year’s fiftieth anniversary since 1974 reminds us of the fallen, the wounded, the captured soldiers, nineteen-year-old and twenty-year-old youth in the majority, and the most tragic victims of the invasion, the civilians, the elderly, women and children. All those who cannot forget and have been tormented ever since with the indelible memories of what they experienced as defenseless witnesses to horrible war crimes and mass executions, as dishonorable refugees in their own homeland, as trapped, as protagonists of a heartbreaking ancient drama in the thousands of cases of fallen relatives , missing persons and prisoners”.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus said that Greece, its entire political leadership and the brotherly Greek people are “our first and most important ally, the strongest supporter of our efforts, our most selfless supporter” and underlined: “We have solid arguments and the necessary self-confidence that allow us to move towards tomorrow, claiming with realism the evolution of the Republic of Cyprus, into a normal state, without an occupation army and without guarantors. This is my vision and this I will claim, with absolute commitment to the term order that I have received from the Cypriot people. And the resolution of the Cypriot issue will at the same time be the greatest vindication of the victims of the Cypriot tragedy, in whose honor today’s event is dedicated.”

In his greeting, the president of the Society of Macedonian Studies, Vasilios Pappas, pointed out: “Half a century after the tragic events of the summer of 1974, generations of Greeks all over the world are reflecting on the shocking events that stained our recent history. It is the duty of all of us to continue the just and holy struggle for the immediate withdrawal of the Turkish occupying troops from Cyprus, the return of the refugees to their homes and the reunification of our martyred island”.

Before the start of the event, Mr. Christodoulidis visited the offices of EMS where he had a short conversation with the president of Vasilei Pappa and signed the guest book.