The Commissioner for the Presidency, Mr Fotis Fotiou, met today in his office with the new Italian Ambassador to the Republic of Cyprus, Mrs Federica Ferrari-Bravo.
The meeting took place in the context of the briefing of Mrs Ferrari-Bravo on the responsibilities of the Commissioner for the Presidency.
During the meeting, the Commissioner briefed the Italian Ambassador on the tragic aspect of the Missing Persons issue, as well as on the problems and difficulties encountered in the efforts to resolve the humanitarian aspect of the Missing Persons problem. The Commissioner pointed out that it is inhuman and unacceptable that there are families who have been waiting for almost half a century for answers about the fate of their loved ones. Time, he continued, is inexorable; first-degree relatives pass away with the bitter regret of not knowing the fate of their loved ones.
Turkey, he pointed out, has heavy responsibilities and obligations both for creating and perpetuating the problem. We expect and demand that Turkey take, even now, the political and humanitarian decisions, the implementation of which we are confident will lead to progress. Turkey should proceed with the immediate implementation of the 2001 and 2014 ECHR Decisions, the submission of all data and information in the Turkish military archives regarding our Missing Persons and the deliberate movement of bones.
He also stressed that it is urgent that immediate measures and initiatives be taken by the United Nations and the European Union in order to make progress in resolving the problem for the benefit of the families. To this end, the Commissioner asked for the help and contribution of the Government of Italy, a Member State of the European Union.
Finally, ways of cooperation between the two countries on Diaspora issues were discussed, with multiple benefits for both countries. As Fotiou said, this cooperation can further strengthen Cyprus-Italy relations. In the context of the meeting, the possible signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Diaspora issues between the two countries was mentioned.
(PM/MB/SX)
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