“The forthcoming visit of the Greek Prime Minister in Nicosia will reaffirm Greece’s support and active assistance in restoring justice in Cyprus, which will continue unabated”, Greece’s Foreign Ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos has stressed.
In his speech entitled “Greek foreign policy, challenges and opportunities in an era of uncertainty and expectation” delivered on Monday at Journalist’s House, Koumoutsakos said that 2009 “will be a year of challenges as well as opportunities in all the fields of both Greece’s and Republic of Cyprus’ foreign policy”.
He noted that “full normalization of Greek-Turkish relations and Turkey’s smooth European course require the ending of the current unacceptable situation in Cyprus of the 35 year flagrant injustice and illegal military occupation of the territory of a UN and EU member state”.
Furthermore, he said that this year is crucial as regards the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem adding that “as you very well know, the negotiations between the leaders of the two communities go through phases of acceleration, stagnation and deceleration”.
“It is a laborious process that requires dedication to the aim and determination regarding handlings”, he noted.
Additionally, he said that “no one can criticize or blame the leadership of the Republic of Cyprus for luck of constructive attitude”, adding that “the responsibility for the obstruction and the back-outs lies on the other side”.
“Whoever is really interested for a solution, must see the real dimension and the crux of the matter, which is first and foremost, a matter of illegal invasion and occupation of the territory of an independent country and European territory”.
He added that “they must turn their encouragement and suggestions towards the power that maintains and sustains the occupation. Towards immolator and not victims”, he pointed out.
He noted that Greece “without second thoughts encourages and supports the ongoing process of the bi-communal dialogue held under the UN auspices “so as to lead without any strict timetables and arbitration in an agreement to reunite Cyprus as a bizonal, bi-communal federal state with a single sovereignty, international legal personality and citizenship”.
He clarified that “such a solution cannot but to take into account the status of the Republic of Cyprus as an EU member state as well as the European principles and values”.
Koumoutsakos noted that “our aim is a reunited Cyprus where two communities will live together in peace and harmony while enjoying the benefits of the participation in the European family, without outdates foreign occupation forces as well as guarantees and intervention rights”.
He stressed that “Greece stands by the side of the Cypriot brothers, President Christofias and all political leadership”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.
The leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities have been engaged in direct negotiations since September 2008, under UN auspices, with an aim to reunite the island.
