Only liberation and reunification can stop the dangers
Statement by Yiorgos Koukoumas, member of the C.C. of AKEL,
on the 9th August Anastasiades-Akinci meeting
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 31 July 2019, Nicosia
August 9th is a crucial day for the course of the Cyprus problem and that’s how the President of the Republic should approach it. The meeting between the two leaders will determine whether the current gap in negotiations can be overcome and we can move on to a resumption of substantive negotiations.
Regardless of whatever messages emanating from Turkey, the President must respond with determination and demonstrate a practical will to move things rally forward. The negativism stemming from statements made by some government officials is provoking concern. The President cannot go to the meeting with the certainty that it will be wrecked by the other side. This approach has been tried repeatedly in the past, with the only result that our side being assigned equal responsibilities. The President must go to the meeting with a willingness to assume his own share of responsibility for a successful outcome.
AKEL believes strongly that there is only one path for the Greek Cypriot side to pursue at the 9th August meeting. No matter how much Turkey provokes with its public statements, we must work for the resumption of negotiations. The President should confirm once and for all and irrevocably that the only basis for a solution is reunification on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality of the two communities, as set out in the relevant UN resolutions. He should reaffirm his commitment to the Framework of the UN Secretary General and to the agreed convergences. He should convince the Secretary General of his political will that he is ready to go all the way if negotiations resume. This is what the UN Secretary-General is requesting so that he can proceed to convene an Informal Conference which, in turn, can lead to the resumption of the negotiation procedure.
Everyone must realize that time is running out. The absence of negotiations over the last two years has given room for Turkey’s aggressive actions to provoke new fait accompli. The definitive partition is looming. The status quo does not remain unchanged. It is sliding daily into a new situation that is extremely dangerous for our people. Only the liberation and reunification of our homeland and people can stop the dangers and chart a prospect of hope and prosperity for the Cypriot people.
