AKEL denounces President’s position for NATO guarantees
Statement by Aristos Damianou, Member of the C.C. of AKEL and of the Office on the Cyprus problem of the C.C. of AKEL
AKEL has been and will remain at the forefront of the anti-occupation struggle for the peaceful liberation and real reunification of our country and people. That’s why we support the procedure of the resumption of the talks, despite our disagreements with some aspects of the Joint Communiqué, which in any event must not continue to be glorified or demonized.
The President of the Republic must promote the long-standing agreed positions of the Greek Cypriot community as recorded in the unanimous decisions of the National Council. These positions provide for the withdrawal of the occupation forces and the demilitarization of Cyprus, with the addition of the assertion for the abolition of guarantees and rights of intervention to any third country. It is needless for an EU member-state and dangerous leftover of 1960, which has brought only destruction.
It is precisely for this reason that we express our intense displeasure regarding today’s references made by the President of the Republic in an interview given to the “Kathimerini” newspaper. President Anastasiades’ position that the issue of guarantees can be regulated fully with Cyprus’ accession to the Partnership for Peace and subsequently to NATO is unacceptable and the perspective of such a solution will find us confronting him.
It is really worth questioning that while the government coalition is dissolving, at the same time when the Left and AKEL supports the procedure of the talks with selflessness, when the internal aspects of the Cyprus problem have not even been discussed why does Mr. Anastasiades opt for conflict, by highlighting an extremely ideological and dogmatic position supported by the Democratic Rally DISY party – namely the position that seeks to shackle Cyprus to the NATO machine, thus endangering the attempt at a common understanding?
We urge the President of the Republic to have second and wiser thoughts. The Cyprus problem has suffered from military interventions and is subject to the occupation of a NATO member state.
For the solution to be peaceful and lasting it must abolish armies and guarantees and not to make our homeland a NATO military base and launch pad with unforeseeable consequences for both our people and peace in the region.
