Statement by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A. Kyprianou after the meeting with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece Demetris Koutsoumbas
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 2nd November 20202. Nicosia
An AKEL delegation headed by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL Andros Kyprianou had a meeting today with the General Secretary of the C.C. of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Demetris Koutsoumbas at the KKE central offices at Perissos. After the meeting, Andros Kyprianou made the following statement:
“First of all, I would like to thank comrade Demetris for the very substantive and productive discussion we had, but of course, most of all for the longstanding support and solidarity which the KKE renders to the struggle of the Cypriot people for liberation and reunification.
Unfortunately, today the Cyprus problem is returning to a new phase. The assumption by Mr. Tatar of the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community creates new and negative facts, in the sense that now in the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community there is An obedient servant of Mr. Erdogan, Ankara and it is obvious that an attempt will be made to change the framework of the solution of the Cyprus problem.
As far as we are concerned, we insist that the solution to the Cyprus problem must be based on the relevant resolutions of the UN, the High-Level Agreements, International Law and the principles upon which the EU is founded on. The solution must lead to a continuation of the Republic of Cyprus, to a united state, a single state with a single sovereignty, a single international personality and a single citizenship, free from any possibilities of intervention in its internal affairs. We do not need guarantor powers and guarantees. We do not need anyone to interfere in our internal affairs. We, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, must be the masters of our own homeland. We insist that the solution must safeguard that we are talking about one state and a state that will itself the one to determine its own future and perspective.
Unfortunately, we recognize that things have become more difficult. The competitions that exist in our region, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean with the increasing provocation and aggression on the part of Turkey create and provoke numerous problems in the efforts to resume substantive negotiations regarding the solution to the Cyprus problem. However, we want to clarify that we are not going to compromise. We are never going to accept that the future of Cyprus will be led to a final partition, that is to say, to two separate states. We will struggle to ensure that we liberate and reunite the common homeland of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. And in this effort, the support we receive from the Greek people, from the KKE, from the other political parties and the Greek Government is extremely important.
With the KKE delegation, headed by its General Secretary, we discussed developments as they are evolving in the light of the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic, the huge problems that have been caused to the public health systems in Cyprus too. I must say that things are very similar to what is happening here. AKEL had, since last May, submitted a package of proposals to the government for measures that should have been taken to prepare public hospitals to confront the second phase of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the second phase finds us unprepared yet again and what worries us even more is what the impact will be on the working people, the layoffs, attacks on rights, especially with regards wages. And I want to make it absolutely clear that as a Party that represents the interests of the working people we will struggle against all the machinations/plans that aim in this direction.
I would like to especially thank com. Demetris because they have outlined the concerns they have developed in some specialized conferences they have organized. It is important for us to draw on the experience of fraternal parties around important issues, always of course conveying them to our own concrete conditions which prevail in Cyprus.
Finally, I want to express our gratitude not only for the longstanding support, but also for the very productive and meaningful meeting we had with com. Demetris and we wish all the best”.
The General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL is in Athens for meetings with the state and political leadership of Greece heading an AKEL delegation which also includes Toumazos Tsielepis, a member of the Political Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL and Head of the Cyprus Problem Office of the Party and Marina Savva, member of the C.C. of AKEL.
Today at 18:30, the AKEL delegation will meet with the Prime Minister of Greece Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Maximou Palace.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 3rd November 2020, at 12:00, he will have a meeting with the President of SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras at the central offices of SYRIZA.
