Cyprus in a stronger position to pursue a solution

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos has stated that all the prospects for Cyprus for the year 2008 are very positive and “we enter the New Year with high expectations for the continued success of the government programme and for improving the welfare and wellbeing of the people of Cyprus.”

Speaking at a lunch hosted by CNA for foreign media correspondents on Friday in Nicosia, President Papadopoulos said that “we have a reason to be proud for the successful introduction of the Euro in Cyprus,” adding that Cyprus is now in a stronger position to pursue a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Taking this opportunity, President Papadopoulos thanked all the Ministers of the cabinet, the government employees and the banking sector as well “for their cooperation and for responding to the very earnest and very good preparations which the government service has prepared for the smooth introduction of the Euro in our country”.

In this respect, President Papadopoulos noted the European Committee’s satisfaction on the way things are progressing and expressed hope that the people of Cyprus would be getting more accustomed with the Euro to ensure the smooth transition from the Cyprus pound to the new currency.

The President pointed out that “through the initiatives we have taken in the past, I think we are now in a stronger position to pursue a solution to the Cyprus problem, which the people of Cyprus deserve and which I think is the only way of ensuring the reunification of our country.”

Referring to the substance of a Cyprus settlement, President Papadopoulos clarified that “reunification for us means the reunification of the society, of the territory, of the institutions and the economy,” adding that no country can be called a unified country unless these four pillars coexist.

The President reaffirmed his commitment to a bizonal bicommunal federation, reminding that “this is the declared and the agreed principle in the Agreement I have signed with Mr. Talat in the presence of Mr. Gambari.”

President Papadopoulos underlined that this Agreement “is supported by the Security Council, all the five permanent members and by the recent European Union Conclusions,” stressing that with these Conclusions, which are the strongest ever in support of a solution of the Cyprus problem, as he noted, Turkey is invited to actively pursue the implementation of the Gambari Agreement.

On 1 January 2008, Cyprus became the 14th European Union member to join the Eurozone. The adoption of the Euro has been described a landmark in the financial history of Cyprus. Malta also adopted the Euro at the same time.

President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on 8 July 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of UN official Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.