AKEL on the President’s speech to the UN General Assembly

 

Statement of Stefanos Stefanou, AKEL Political Bureau  

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 30th September 2015, Nicosia

 

President Anastasiades’ speech at the UN General Assembly cannot but be judged by taking into account the current situation on the Cyprus problem. After a prolonged period of stagnation, progress in the negotiation procedure is being observed that is due on the one hand to the assumption by Akinci of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community and on the other, to the fact the Christofias -Talat convergences are at last being utilized.

The procedure is at a crossroads. The critical and extremely complex chapter of the property issue is being discussed at the negotiating table. The fate of the current negotiation procedure will depend on whether progress will be achieved on this chapter. If we arrive within range of a convergence on the core issues related to the property issue, the path will be opened up for an initial substantive discussion of the property issue and subsequently to address the critical issues of security and guarantees at a representative international conference where Turkey at last must face up to its responsibilities. Conversely, if no substantive progress is achieved on the property issue, the negotiating procedure will be in danger of collapse.

President Anastasiades’ speech before the UN General Assembly took place in these precise conditions. AKEL as a responsible and patriotic force determines his stand on the Cyprus problem regardless of who is the given President of the Republic. Bearing this in mind, we consider that the President of the Republic while naming the occupying power Turkey and calling on it to face up to its responsibilities, at the same time he gave emphasis to the perspective of a solution and its beneficial effects for everyone and tried to keep a low key so as to avoid damaging the negotiation procedure underway. The essence and main priority is to do everything on our part for this effort to succeed and that the goal of the solution based on principles and the agreed framework of liberation and the reunification of our country and people is achieved.