Speaking at a working lunch hosted for ambassadors of European countries in the context of Europe Day,[/B] Mr. Neophytou said that the accession of Cyprus to the EU in 2004 was for DISY the vindication of a long path that started from our foundation in 1976, noting that the Siouman Declaration is a model of clear strategic thinking and decisive political will.
He noted that today is the right moment for transcendings and emblematic decisions that will show us the path of peace, security and development for the next generations.
He noted that today is the right moment for transcendings and emblematic decisions that will show us the path of peace, security and development for the next generations.
He said that today is the right moment for transcendings and emblematic decisions that will show us the path of peace, security and development for the next generations. He stressed that the full and unequivocal condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with its atrocious violence and the great humanitarian disaster it brought, is primarily a matter of conscience.
Neophytou said that it is not only a formal duty that we recognise our obligations as a member state of the Union, but also a moral duty and a collective experience, because we do not perceive the occupation theoretically, but we live it.
We lived the Turkish invasion that came under a similar pretext as the Russian invasion of Ukraine that unfolded in similar, tragic and inhuman ways, he said.
He noted that DISY is on the right side.[/B] On the side of respect for the independence and territorial integrity of states, on the side of international law, on the side of the peaceful resolution of disputes, he added.
"Revisionism was and remains a threat to the peace and security of Europe."
"Revisionism was and remains a threat to the peace and security of Europe. EU member states and our NATO allies must take decisive action to bring everyone into compliance with the requirements of international law."
Mr. Neophytou called it tragic that today, the easternmost point of the Union does not enjoy the goods that it generously offers, peace, freedom and progress.
"This is Rizokarpaso, on the edge of the occupied province of Kyrenia. There Cyprus, and the European Union, has, temporarily, no sovereignty. This stigma, this shame, must stop as soon as possible. That is why we have condemned the Russian invasion from the very first moment. Because we have the same experiences," he said.
However, Neophytou continued, Europe must also understand how Cypriots feel when sanctions are limited only to Russia and are not imposed on Turkey with its constant violations against a member state like Cyprus. Our political priority is not the imposition of sanctions but the solution of the Cyprus problem, he said, adding that the EU should move in this direction by putting pressure on Turkey to abandon its unacceptable positions for a two-state solution[/B] and if it does not do so, it should know that Europe, as it did for Russia, will behave similarly towards Turkey, he said. Neophytou said that Cyprus, serving the principles of Europe and not its own cost and economic interests, aligned itself with the decisions on sanctions against Russia, stressing that Turkey should do the same by following the sanctions of the European Union and the West and not bypassing the sanctions and gaining additional economic benefits.
He stressed that despite Turkish aggression and arrogance, DISY remains committed to the resumption of negotiations as soon as possible.
DISY President and presidential candidate said that on the basis of the values his party demands for Ukraine, he also demands a solution that unites the divided Cyprus on the basis of the agreed framework and European principles, which works for the benefit of both its communities.
A bicommunal, bizonal federation, with one sovereignty, citizenship and international personality and a primary role for the communities in internal matters, free from the occupying army and the obsolete guarantees of the 1960s.
"We in DISY, we prefer the guarantee of the solution to come from the European defence mechanisms in cooperation with the Western security system," he said, noting that in Cyprus we have three NATO armies on our territory.
Cyprus today, and even more so a united Cyprus tomorrow, is a reliable and stable country that can unlock a number of positive prospects in the region and in the Union, Neophytou said, noting that energy is the new catalyst. He added that at a time when the Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused global upheaval in the energy market, Turkey's unacceptable stance is keeping significant quantities of natural gas in the Eastern Mediterranean pinned down. He said that these quantities could at least contribute to the energy needs of our region.
He also said that with countries such as Greece, France, Israel and Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, Cyprus is working for a Mediterranean of peace and security that will progress for the benefit of all its peoples.
He said that Cyprus also wants Turkey in the game But a Turkey, he explained, that respects international law and the rules that govern all civilised states and that helps in the solution of the Cyprus problem and not remains an obstacle.
Neophytou expressed the belief that today, when inaction is perceived as weakness, is the right time for emblematic decisions. This weakness feeds revisionism abroad and populism at home, causing insecurity, social turmoil, geopolitical crises and ultimately a retreat of the values of freedom and democracy.
These decisions concern the further integration of the EU, both in its economic and defence dimension, the implementation of strategic autonomy and the parallel deepening of the relationship with NATO and the European energy policy.
Regarding European support for the Resilience and Recovery Fund, Neophytou said that we have the opportunity to evolve an economic model that has reached its limits and trigger a series of investments that will fuel a healthier, more sustainable and greener development process.
Neophytou said that Cyprus has made significant reforms in the judiciary, transparency and local government and continues with digital transformation in the public administration and the economy, and with radical improvements in education and social cohesion.
Regarding the upcoming Presidential Elections, Mr. Neophytou said that his party will fight the difficult battle with its candidate and will win it.
This, he said, is because citizens recognize the work of the government, they understand that security, stability and development are high stakes and they understand that a time of crisis requires competence, efficiency and proper management. In the face of populism, he continued, DISY remains a force of seriousness and responsibility, the guarantor of social and economic stability, the standard-bearer of European principles and values and the political force, the protagonist of the Cyprus settlement and with energy being the new catalyst for the solution.
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