Commissioner for the Presidency Mr. Fotis Fotiou met today with a delegation of students from the Hellenic American Institute of International Relations, accompanied by the President of the Institute Mr. Nikos Larigakis, as part of their educational visit to Cyprus.
Mr. Fotiou informed the delegation about the tragedy of the missing persons and their relatives which, unfortunately, continues for almost half a century and causes so much pain and misery to hundreds of families of our compatriots, who are waiting for answers about the fate of their loved ones.
The Commissioner pointed out that the issue of the missing persons is at a standstill due to Turkey's intransigent stance to cooperate and provide information from Turkish archives on the movement of remains and new burial sites. It is Turkey's responsibility and obligation to cooperate in accordance with the relevant decisions of the European Court of Human Rights of 2001 and 2014, he said.
He also pointed out that the assistance and help of the European Union, the United Nations and the US government can be essential and decisive in efforts to address the unacceptable and inhumane situation that has developed in recent years.
The Commissioner for the Presidency also made extensive reference to the issue of the missing American citizens. This law, he stressed, is one of the many examples of practical and substantial support and solidarity towards Cyprus as a result of the initiatives and actions of the expatriate community in the United States. Fotiou stressed that the international community should raise further awareness, as it has rightly done on the war in Ukraine, and persuade Turkey to cooperate on an entirely humanitarian issue.
In addition, the Commissioner asked the students in the delegation to contribute in their own way and in a coordinated manner to inform and raise awareness in their University communities in the US about the humanitarian aspect of the issue of our missing persons.
During the meeting, Mr. Fotiou briefed the delegation on the issues of the internally displaced persons and the difficulties they face. Reference was also made to the destruction of the cultural and religious heritage in our occupied areas by the occupying power, as well as the systematic efforts of the Republic of Cyprus to preserve and protect it.
The Commissioner of the Presidency then referred to the role of the Hellenes Abroad, which is of crucial importance for the promotion and support of our positions and interests. Our Cypriots of the Diaspora further strengthen the bilateral relations between Cyprus and the United States and bring our peoples even closer together. He made special mention of our young generation of expatriates, who are the future leaders of our Diaspora and we have a duty to keep them close to their roots, culture, as well as to encourage their involvement in the parochial events in the countries where they live.
For his part, the AHI President assured of the interest of the Institute and the students, expressing their willingness to offer all the help they can to contribute to the efforts to solve the humanitarian problem of the missing persons.
Finally, Fotiou congratulated and thanked Mr. Larigakis and AHI for the work they do in promoting our national issues in the United States. At the same time, he congratulated the students who participate in this excellent program and for their great interest in learning more about our Cyprus.
(PM/EC/SX)
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