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- Ελληνικά
"Early next year I will announce the Cyprus team and convene a National Council to inform, immediately afterwards, the announcements to be made by the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN)," President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides said today.
In his remarks to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the "Michael Kailis" camp on the occasion of the festive season, and to a reporter's remark that the Turkish Cypriot leader reiterated his claim for two states while we are waiting for the appointment of an envoy of the UN Secretary General, the President of the Republic said: "Personally, I did not expect anything different from Mr. Tatar with the statements he continues to make."
What I have to say to both Mr. Tatar and Mr. Erdogan, with full respect to the Turkish Cypriot leader - that is where the decisions, the development of the negotiations will be judged - is that there can be no other solution than the agreed framework. Certainly from our side we are not going to discuss anything else. We are waiting for the official announcement from the UN Secretary-General. We are in contact with the UN Secretariat. I want to repeat what I said earlier, it is crucial. I think that the UN understands, from the discussions we have had, the need for the personal envoy to come and stay in Cyprus for as long as necessary, so that we can work towards the resumption of the talks. At the beginning of next year I will also announce the Cyprus team, at the beginning of next year I will also call the National Council to inform, immediately after the announcements that will be made on the part of the SG, and we are all set. We have the political will. We have in mind how we will move because I am sure that the other side, possibly, will move in directions, so that, to lead the whole situation to a deadlock in order to promote other options."
Asked if there is any information about the terms of reference of the UN Secretary General's envoy, the President said: "We have spoken to the UN Secretariat, there are no conditions of any kind. The conditions are set by the UN resolutions themselves and the Secretary-General himself is bound by them and the UN has told us this repeatedly."
Asked about this, he said there is no time frame either. "What matters is that there is political will, and if there is, we can move forward."
Asked about the ship carrying aid to Gaza, the President said: "We are awaiting final approval from Israel. We are ready. I want to welcome the rapprochement and cooperation with Britain. We are in contact, as we are with the EU, and we are waiting on the Israeli side."
Asked if the EU or any of its member states are ready to assist with means to carry this aid, the President replied, "Of course. As there is at this moment the British ship there is also readiness from EU members to assist."
Asked about the attack on a member of the Legal Service, the President said: "Any attack is reprehensible. We are waiting to see the reasons. I have already spoken to the Minister last night so that investigations can proceed very quickly. No attack on justice or any citizen of this country can be tolerated or any excuse - much less in matters of justice."
Asked about the issue of the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories and what the Government intends to do about the persons involved, the President said: "We are working on a bill - which we are studying with the Legal Service - by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the new year it will be promoted. Yes, it is something we are concerned about."
In response to a reporter's remark that Israel does not seem to be ready to agree to a ceasefire so that humanitarian aid can be given, the President said: "If we can achieve a ceasefire it is a good thing, I am not discussing it, we all want that. But no ceasefire does not mean that humanitarian aid cannot be provided. There are people there who are suffering. There must be uninterrupted humanitarian aid. And, I repeat, I hope there will be a response as soon as possible."
Asked if it had been decided where the ship would sail, the President said: "It is one of the issues that we are discussing with the Israeli government, together with the British and with the Americans and the EU, and when there is a conclusion we will announce it."
In response to another question, the President said: "I believe that the British Foreign Secretary will visit the area."
Asked if there is any news in relation to the situation in the buffer zone, President Christodoulides said: "There is a systematic effort to challenge the status of the buffer zone and it was one of the issues we discussed yesterday at the meeting in the presence of the Chief of the National Guard. We evaluated the measures we have already taken and the monitoring of the situation, as it takes shape, is daily, and our own moves are adjusted accordingly."
Finally, asked to give his message to the world regarding the issue of the buffer zone, the President said: "The priority of all the decisions we take - I went to St. Dometius myself - is the safety of the people and we are doing everything necessary to ensure that there is not any feeling of insecurity on the part of the residents living in areas adjacent to the buffer zone."
Asked about the content of the measures taken by the Government, the President said: "If you visit the areas and talk to the residents they will answer you. I myself was in St. Dometius and I am sure that if you visit the areas, from the residents themselves, you will hear."
Following his remarks, the President visited the Barsac Outpost/Reserve at the Far Village Island, where he wished the soldiers a Merry Christmas and New Year.
(PM/NZ/EATH)
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