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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-01-19Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT CYPRUS ISSUE MAKARIOS IIIPresident of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias has expressed hope that ``during this crucial phase of the talks`` to solve the Cyprus problem, ``the Turkish Cypriot side will shift from its positions, which are included in the well-known unacceptable document, so that we can achieve such convergences on the aspect of governance, which will allow us to constructively and effectively examine the other very serious aspects of the Cyprus problem``.Addressing an event in Nicosia in memory of Cyprus` first President Archbishop Makarios III and to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, President Christofias said that ``from day one of the direct negotiations we are proving on a daily basis, with the proposals we are submitting, our steadfast commitment to these principles and our determination and readiness for a solution``. He pointed out that ``our aim is to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, which will be the product of negotiations between the leaders of the two communities, the soonest possible,`` adding that this should be achieved far from arbitration and pressing deadlines. President Christofias also said that a federal state ``was and is the only realistic option`` to end the Turkish occupation and the division of the island and its people, adding that ``we are struggling for a solution of the Cyprus problem based on the historical compromise which Archbishop Makarios had the courage and foresight to agree on,`` namely the bi-zonal bi-communal federation. He added that the bi-communal state will have a single sovereignty, a single international identity and a single citizenship, with political equality, as defined in UN resolutions, and should be in line with EU principles and values, and safeguard the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots. ``In our efforts to reach a peaceful, viable and functional solution of the Cyprus problem, we are walking the path which Archbishop Makarios himself traced,`` he said. Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in UN-led direct negotiations since September 2008, with an aim to reunify the island. They held their first round of intensive talks last week and are scheduled to enter a second round on January 25. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |