Bicommunal event for peace and the solution of the Cyprus problem, calling for "all roads to be opened", Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, members of 108 organisations, political parties, trade unions and NGOs held a meeting on Saturday.
Specifically, Greek Cypriots gathered on Salaminos Street, near the entrance to the Famagusta Gate ditch and Turkish Cypriots at the ditch park next to Kyrenia Gate, in occupied Nicosia, and marched parallel to the Orpheus barrier.
There, representatives of the organizers, delivered a petition to a representative of the UN Peacekeeping Force calling for the resumption of negotiations on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation.
They also call for the opening of more roadblocks in the framework of Confidence Building Measures, noting that it is a demand that has remained unfulfilled for years.
As the participants of the event stressed, this action is the beginning of a series of efforts towards the resumption of talks aimed at a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of the ICO.
E/C and T/C assured that they will continue the struggle for a reunited Cyprus, without foreign troops and dividing lines.
Symbolically, the participants of the event released white balloons in the air from both sides of the Green Line with the wish that Nicosia and all of Cyprus will be reunited soon.
Also present at the event was AKEL Secretary General Stefanos Stefanou, who said that AKEL could not be absent from this event. As Mr Stefanou said, "especially in this period when there has been a stalemate since 2017 and this stalemate is being instrumentalised by Turkey to reinforce the fait accompli of invasion and occupation, there is a need through activities and actions of re-engagement to keep the flame of hope for the solution lit, which is why we are at the roadblock."
He added that our request is "to open more roadblocks to further help the communication between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots but more so to give the message that we must not stop the effort to solve the Cyprus problem and what is most important today is to resume negotiations".
The AKEL Secretary General said that "the opening of roadblocks and other Confidence Building Measures that improve the daily life of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are not a substitute for a solution, however, it is a given position of AKEL that with such CBMs we also help to strengthen communication in various aspects of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot life".
"Of course, the main thing is to keep the flame of the effort to resolve the Cyprus problem burning especially now that there is a lot of pessimism due to the deadlock and the whole behaviour of Turkey."
Source: CNA
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