Statement by Stefanos Stefanou AKEL C.C. Spokesperson on President Anastasiades’ interview

 

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 20^th April 2021, Nicosia

In relation to a TV interview given by President Anastasiades, AKEL points out the following:

1. The President’s questioning of the convergence that was achieved on the effective participation of the Turkish Cypriots and more specifically on the one positive vote in the Ministerial Council is in our assessment an extremely problematic point. The Turkish side will use this point to argue that the Greek Cypriot side does not accept the principle of political equality and thus to question the basis of the solution in general. At the same time, there is a danger that responsibilities for a new collapse will again be apportioned on the Greek Cypriot community as well.
2. The proposal on the Cyprus problem submitted by AKEL to the President of the Republic last December is very clear and has been made public, therefore there is no room for any distortion. AKEL is talking about an interconnected discussion. It does not separate issues, as the President is claiming. In particular, the issue of political equality is linked to the issue of security and guarantees. This is precisely what the Guterres Framework provides for, which is a package that includes the position of the UN Secretary General for the abolition of guarantees and intervention rights. We insist on the need for consistency to the principle of political equality as set out in the Resolutions of the UN, commitment to the convergences agreed and the Guterres Framework, because that is the only way to free our country from the occupation and Ankara’s guarantee rights.
3. At the moment, the President’s insistence on his version of what actually happened at Crans Montana doesn’t serve a purpose, given that this is not adopted by anyone in the international community, including the UN Secretary General himself who was present at the conference. How he will express his position in view of the upcoming Geneva meeting is of critical importance right now.

AKEL has repeatedly submitted with consistency its position on how the Greek Cypriot community must act and declare its position in view of the informal five-party meeting. We also submitted our assessment of the consequences that any possible backtracking by the Greek Cypriot side from the agreed framework and convergences will have. President Anastasiades, just like all of us, will be judged by the end result.

AKEL’s wish and hope is for the informal five-party meeting in Geneva to pave the way for the resumption of the negotiations from the point where they had been suspended, for a solution to the Cyprus problem on the agreed basis and framework. For liberation, reunification and peace.