According to a statement from his office, the Interior Minister said that "unfortunately, the nightmarish scene in Ukraine with Russia's invasion of an independent, sovereign country, with the hundreds of victims, millions of refugees, the destruction of territories, infrastructure and human suffering, recall the Turkish invasion of 1974."
He noted that "Cyprus cannot but oppose, on the basis of its principled positions, any invasion and cannot remain indifferent to this humanitarian crisis, to the terrible tragedy unfolding before its eyes and is actively standing by the side of the suffering Ukrainian people with all the resources at its disposal".
It is our hope, the Minister said, that "the tragic loss of innocent lives, the violation of sovereignty, human rights and the forcing of the Ukrainian people to take refugee status will end immediately."
On the Cyprus issue, Mr. Nouris said that "we must continue our struggle to assert our national dignity and the inalienable rights of our people, which are brutally violated by the violence and arrogance of the Turkish occupation."
He added that "the Republic of Cyprus, as a full member of the European Union, cannot renounce the concept of full and non-negotiable sovereignty aligned with international and European law and not with occupying troops and anachronistic guarantees of third parties."
As the Minister said, "he is moving forward with numerous and persistent efforts on our side, including the proposed Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to re-launch a meaningful negotiation process that will deliver results."
"But the claims of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership for a two-state solution are contrary to the agreed basis for a solution, while unilateral and illegal actions on the territory and at sea are contrary to international law and Security Council resolutions," the Minister noted.
He also referred to the "need to move towards a viable and just solution to the Cyprus problem, based on mutual respect and conditions that will allow us to live together in peace and co-existence."
On the anniversaries of 25 March and 1 April, the Minister said that "our ancestors united, rose up and liberated the homeland and the next generations rebuilt and grew it and it is our duty to honour the greatness of Hellenism in the far corners of the world, but even more so in our own semi-inherited homeland".
"Today as never before, the sacrifice of Afxentios, Lena, Karolis, Pallikaridis and all the immortal heroic martyrs of the legendary EOKA of Chief Digenis, should guide us like a bright star," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, closing his speech.
Source: CNA
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