“President Anastasiades must convince the UN Secretary-General that he is willing to contribute in a positive way to the creation of the preconditions for a resumption and positive outcome of the negotiations”

Statement by AKEL-Left-New Forces Parliamentary Spokesperson Yiorgos Loukaides

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 8th September 2019, Nicosia

The new failure to conclude the terms of reference, which would have brought us one step closer to a resumption of substantive negotiations, represents of course a negative development.

We wish and hope that this development, this time, will not be attributed to our side too by the UN Secretary-General. Most importantly, however, we wish and hope that in the period ahead of us President Anastasiades will act in a way that will convince the UN Secretary-General that he has all the will and readiness demanded to contribute towards the creation of the preconditions for a resumption of negotiations and for a positive conclusion to the negotiations on the Cyprus problem.

Bearing in mind the current critical situation surrounding the Cyprus problem and the position of the Secretariat of the United Nations that the window of opportunity will not remain open for long, recognizing the dangers our country is facing from the Turkish aggression and the illegal fait accompli, as well as the fact that we are already one step away from the definitive partition, President Anastasiades must act having solely the well-intentioned interests of the country at heart, far from any expediencies, regressions and contradictions.

In such an eventuality, AKEL, as it has done in the past too, will support the procedure, without giving anyone a blank check and free hand.