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- Ελληνικά
The Government has been informed by the European Union (EU) that the personal envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (UNSG) for the Cyprus problem has conveyed its readiness to contribute substantially to all stages of the negotiation process, President of the Republic Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, noting that the envoy will be in Cyprus after 27 January.
In his remarks to journalists after the naming ceremony of the "Missing Children of the 1974 Turkish invasion" Park, and in response to a journalist's remark that an attempt is being made by the occupation regime to elevate the arrest of a Turkish Cypriot lawyer for the usurpation of Greek Cypriot properties to a political issue, the President of the Republic said that "there is no expediency whatsoever. There is an illegal action, a relevant arrest warrant has been issued for the illegal action and this relevant arrest warrant will be implemented. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the talks. Illegality is illegality and this effort to bring to justice all those who are illegally usurping Greek Cypriot property will in no way be stopped. This has absolutely nothing to do with the talks."
Asked whether in the light of the facts concerning this effort by the occupation regime, talks can be held, the President said that "I consider the announcement (of the appointment) of the UN Secretary General's personal envoy particularly important. She has already begun contacts, she had a meeting with our Permanent Representative in New York, a very good meeting, and given the content of what has been discussed, I can tell you that she knows enough details, she is ready to work and I think she will help us in our effort to resume talks.
She has informed us that she will visit Cyprus after 27 January, after her stay here - she will not visit Cyprus for only one day and this is important, we had requested it from the beginning - she will visit the guarantor powers, she will visit Brussels and other capitals. She has important contacts from her previous capacities and in particular her capacity as Foreign Minister.
Beyond that, she has already had a conversation with Mr Borell. I consider their conversation particularly important, we have been informed by the EU itself that it has conveyed its readiness to contribute substantially to all stages of the negotiation process and we are fully prepared to welcome her to Cyprus and we will do everything possible, not in words but in deeds, in order to create conditions for the resumption of talks with a single objective: a solution on the basis of the agreed framework."
Asked about the issue of an EU envoy, the President said "we should wait and see how things develop and when we have something to announce, we will do so".
Asked about the measures he intends to announce for the Turkish Cypriots and whether they will be announced with the descent to Cyprus of the UN Secretary General's envoy, President Christodoulides said that "there are 14 measures that have already been decided, they are already ready. They will indeed be linked to the descent. They are unilateral actions of the Republic of Cyprus towards our Turkish Cypriot compatriots. They are not measures - I want to make this clear because I hear some statements being made, and so that there is not any different perception - that will be announced before Mrs Cuéllar's descent into Cyprus."
In response to a reporter's remark that the occupied territories attach particular importance to this issue and asked if these developments also affect the property issue, especially when the Turkish Cypriot leader says in his statements that what is being done is legal, the President of the Republic said that "the fact that it is not legal has been decided by courts, the warrants implemented by EU member states, by the international community. There is no excuse for illegality. This particular issue is not related to the attempt to resume the talks. I want to clarify this so that no one can use such excuses."
He added that "of course the property is affected since the sale of these properties started, a sale which on the basis of court decisions is illegal and does not have any legal force."
He added that "of course the property is affected since the sale of these properties started, a sale which on the basis of court decisions is illegal and does not have any legal force.
Asked whether there is any possibility of retaliation against Cyprus, from which the Western allies are operating against Houthi, even if Cyprus is not involved in the operations, President Christodoulides said that "all I can tell you - we are talking about security issues, so we have to be sparing in our public statements - is that all those measures are being taken from the beginning, not on the occasion of this particular event, so that there will not be any incidents in our country.
Beyond that, you understand that the actions of the Houthis also affect the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the EU, but also in general, because of the problems created by these unacceptable actions.
So, I want to reiterate that as the Republic of Cyprus, from the beginning, not on the occasion of this particular incident, we are taking all those measures so that there will not be any security issue in our country. We are constantly vigilant.
At the same time, we hope to create those conditions to end the war in our neighbourhood. It is something that concerns us very much, it is something that worries us, and we hope that conditions will be created so that, on the one hand, the war will end and, on the other hand, the talks for the resolution of the Palestinian issue will resume on the basis of the agreed framework."
(PM/NYAN/GC)
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