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I am delighted to be attending tonight's event, along with the Minister of Interior and the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, but I confess that we would all be very happy if there was no need to inaugurate this beautiful building far from our beloved Morphou and the rest of our occupied lands. Fifty years in exile is a long time, as you know very well, and we must do everything possible to end the occupation of our homeland, to see it reunited and become a place of peaceful coexistence for all its lawful inhabitants.
Until we achieve this supreme goal, until the blessed day of return, we have the duty and obligation to ensure the smooth and as efficient as possible administrative functioning of our occupied municipalities and communities, which are the cohesive link with their citizens, who are scattered not only throughout free Cyprus, but also abroad.
The temporary offices of the Municipality of Morphou and the Union of Occupied Communities of the Nicosia District that we are inaugurating tonight solve the housing problem that has plagued for years both the Municipality and the citizens of Morphou and the Union of Occupied Communities of the Nicosia District.
I would like to welcome the decision of the previous Government and to thank the Mayor and the Municipal Council of Morphou, as well as the Union of Occupied Communities of the Nicosia District and its President for the efforts they made so that the offices we are inaugurating tonight could be located in the building of the former Aglantzia SEA, which were granted by the State. I have no doubt that they will be used in the best possible way, to serve the citizens of Morphos, as well as our communities that remain occupied.
Allow me to take advantage of my presence here to express once again my unlimited appreciation to all our displaced persons, both those who 50 years ago were forced to leave their beloved lands and those who were born and raised in the refugee camp. I mentally shake the hand of all of you and look into your eyes with a sincere promise that, despite the difficulties and challenges, we will do everything possible to create the conditions for the resumption of talks and for a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework. We will never and cannot compromise with the present state of affairs, and we will never, never, never accept the division of our country. This is not the vision we have for our country, this is not the future we owe to our children and to the generations to come.
A few days ago we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our country's accession to the European Union (EU), a unique milestone, -a feat we achieved with the contribution of the entire Cypriot people- that not only changed our country for the better, but allows us to look to the future with optimism. Therefore, guided by our status as an active and effective member state of the EU with a voice and role in the events in Brussels and with the support of Greece, which has always been our mainstay in this effort, as well as with the contribution of our partners, we continue our efforts to put an end to the illegality and the unacceptable current state of affairs.
Despite the difficulties, problems and challenges, we have a concrete plan and strategy, we know where we are going, we are doing everything possible to achieve the objective of resuming, not just substantive talks, but the key issue is the solution.
And until the blessed hour of liberation, the reunification of our land - and to respond to the apt comments of the President of the Union of Occupied Communities of Nicosia - we are doing everything possible in relation to our refugee policy. We have been in power for 15 months. Let me remind you that our first decision was on the 'Build ZO' project for apartment blocks in the refugee settlements. Let me recall our decisions to revise and strengthen the criteria of the Central Equal Burden Sharing Body. Let me recall our decision to touch for the first time on the very sensitive issue of the use and development of Turkish Cypriot properties in the free areas. We know that there is much more to be done. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that in cooperation with you, with your suggestions, the Ministry of Interior, but also all Ministries, and I personally, intend to announce other concrete policies, which will prove in practice that there is a refugee policy in this state.
The time is counting down for the Municipal Elections, which will be held in parallel with the European Elections. These elections also mark a regime change in local government, which has been turning a page since July. I know that the reform does not touch the occupied municipalities and communities. It was a decision taken by the previous Government, but also by the Parliament. But the goal through the reform, which we agree with, is to upgrade the local government, to make it more efficient, more citizen-friendly, with more citizen-friendly services.
Certainly with such a reform we will have problems to face and serious challenges.
But I want to assure you that as the executive we will stand by the local authorities to support this great project and we are here to solve any problems that arise along the way.
But I want to use my presence here today to highlight the importance of elections for both the occupied municipalities and the occupied communities. In ten of the 39 municipalities you will have elections, so in the ten municipalities, in all the occupied municipalities, it is important to have mass participation in the elections. I am sure you understand the importance, the need and the messages that will be sent in relation to our primary objective, our number one priority, which is the resolution of the Cyprus problem. There should be mass participation also in the elections for members of the European Parliament, in the elections for the free regions, but much more for the elections for the occupied municipalities and the occupied communities.
I want to be absolutely frank with you. A very low turnout at the polls for the occupied municipalities will not send any positive messages at all. So, we are ready to help, to further strengthen our campaign for mass participation in the upcoming elections.
(PM/GC/EATH)
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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