Cyprus‘s regional and international footprint was mentioned by Cypriot President, Nikos Christodoulides, noting that positive announcements will soon be made regarding Cyprus-US bilateral cooperation in various areas. On his trip to Washington and his meeting with Joe Biden on Wednesday, Christodoulides said that official announcements are expected within the coming hours.
In his remarks at the parade in Nicosia to mark the 28 October anniversary, he said that “the invitation comes in the wake of some other important developments that demonstrate, if you like, the strengthening of our country’s regional and international footprint, something we are working on methodically, we are working on specifically,” he said. “You have seen the initiatives that the Republic of Cyprus has developed in recent times that are recognised, welcomed by the international community,”
he added. Beyond that, he continued, “there is also the bilateral dimension.”
“From day one, we have placed ourselves on the right side of history. There are several issues, there have been positive developments, we are working, and soon there will be even more, whether they are in the field of defense and security, or in the field of attracting investments,” Christodoulides said. He added that in the field of technology there are several areas “which we are working on and we will have positive announcements very soon.”
“At the same time, you understand that all this strengthening of our country’s political footprint also strengthens our efforts to achieve the number one goal of the Republic of Cyprus,” President Christodoulides said.
“We prove every day that we are not part of the problem,” he said, adding that the Republic of Cyprus, always within the framework of its capabilities, can offer solutions that concern the international community, and within this framework, “we are also strengthening our own efforts in order to liberate our country.”
Referring to the anniversary of October 28, President Christodoulides noted that if we really want to commemorate such anniversaries, it is through our daily struggle. “The goal is one and only one, the end of the occupation, the liberation, the reunification of our homeland,” he said. “We are proud of this day, of the struggles of the Greeks. A struggle with universal dimensions because the struggle of the Greeks was the beginning of the end, for fascism, for Nazism in Europe. It was the beginning of the end of colonialism,” he said.
“Beyond that, we should not, as I have repeatedly mentioned, not to be complacent only with celebrations, praise, parades. The most important thing, if we really want to commemorate such anniversaries, is through our daily struggle, especially in our country, which this year unfortunately completed 50 years, half a century since the Turkish invasion, 50 years of ongoing occupation,” he added.
“It is precisely in this context, from the first day of assuming the government of the country”, he noted, “that we have been working on the basis of a specific plan, a specific design.”
“A plan, that has begun to yield results and I want to express my satisfaction, but I will certainly be able to express much greater satisfaction, greater joy when substantive talks for the resolution of the Cyprus problem resume, always on the basis of the agreed framework,” he said.
He stressed that “we have shown to everyone that this is the time and we will continue to demonstrate with actions and not with words and statements, to show everyone our readiness and I am glad, because both the United Nations Secretary General and the international community in general, the permanent members of the Security Council and the European Union, recognize our effort, recognize it and support it substantially.”
