New round of talks should secure a Cyprus settlement, President says

A fresh round of talks began on February 11, 2014, when President Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, agreed on a seven-point Joint Declaration outlining their vision of a reunited Cyprus. The two sides` negotiators began talks on the methodology.

"We are making persistent and strenuous efforts to secure that the new round of talks will lead us to a solution that would reunify our country and will create the conditions for peaceful and secure coexistence for the legal citizens of our country," Anastasiades said, addressing the inauguration of a community hall in Athienou.

He added the aim of the efforts is to achieve a solution that would evolve the Republic of Cyprus to "a bi-zonal bi-communal federation entrenching the human rights and would respect the sensitivities and the specificities of all its citizens."

Referring to the economy, the President "we are going through challenging times and it is well known that we are facing a deep financial crisis, despite the notable improvement we achieve since last March."