The government will not be led into moves that are superficial with regard to the Cyprus peace effort, President Tassos Papadopoulos said on Sunday, saying that those who question his sincere objective to find a negotiated settlement are either out of touch with reality or have been deceived.
He also said that those who blatantly back the Turkish side, applauding every move it makes, do not contribute in a positive manner to attempts towards a solution.
“We shall continue to work consistently, in a responsible manner and with unwavering commitment to our reasonable positions and just goals for a viable and functional solution,” he said addressing the congregation at the Maronite church of Panayia ton Xariton.
He said the solution he is striving to achieve is on the basis of a bicommunal and bizonal federation that would reunite the country in practice and would ensure a better future for all its citizens.
“Those who choose to question our sincere political will to find a solution in Cyprus, as soon as possible, are either not in touch with reality or deceived. Those who are blatantly biased in favour of the victimizer, applauding any pointless move it makes purely to impress and deceive others, provide a very bad service to the peace effort,” the President said.
He also said he was not going to react in a “frivolous manner because of Turkish fire-works” nor is he going to be diverted from his goals because some people doubt his intentions.
To the Maronites in Cyprus, members of the Greek Cypriot community, he pledged to work to solve any problems they are facing.
Responding to questions, after the church service, Papadopoulos said Nicosia did not ask for clarifications from London regarding statements by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw that the Cypriot government was leading things towards division and that it does not care about the Turkish Cypriot community.
“We have made representations to put it in writing that we consider such positions unacceptable and provocative. We did not seek any clarifications,” he added.
On press reports that former US ambassador to Cyprus had been actively promoting direct trade between the outside world and the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic, Papadopoulos replied “there is nothing new in that report, everybody on the island knows the positions of the US administration on the matter, something they state openly on a daily basis and they try to put into practice.”
Replying to other questions, he said he convenes a meeting of the National Council when he wants to hear the views of those participating in it or when he has something to tell them.
He said the Council, the top advisory body to the President on the question of Cyprus comprising parliamentary parties, has met more times in the past three years – since he came into power – than it has over the past decade.
The Council is set to meet on Friday.
