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- Ελληνικά
The United Nations (UN) sees the prospect and value of appointing an envoy and I hope that soon there will be specific announcements from the UN side, President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides said today.
In his statements to journalists after the anti-communist event of the Municipality of Morphou, in Astromerotis, the President of the Republic, when asked to refer further to what he noted during his speech at the event on the appointment of an envoy of the UN Secretary General on the Cyprus problem, said: "We have been asked by the UN whether we agree with the appointment of an envoy to explore the prospects of resuming talks and late yesterday afternoon we gave our consent. I hope that there will be positive responses, positive developments from the other parties involved, and that the Secretary-General will soon make such an announcement.
I think it is important that we have been accommodated, it means that the UN sees the prospect, they see the value of this appointment, it was something that we sought from the very first moment, and I hope that there will be concrete announcements from the UN side soon."
Asked if he was aware of the personality who might be appointed, the President replied, "no, we have not been informed of a specific name."
In response to a journalist's remark that developments in Israel are creating a dramatic situation in our region, and asked if there is any question of providing assistance to Cypriots in Israel, the President said: "I reiterate my condemnation of what we are seeing, the attacks against Israel, to reiterate the support, the support of the Republic of Cyprus. It is a very difficult situation."
Regarding the Cypriots, President Christodoulides said: "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is on standby to transfer to Cyprus all those who wish to do so and who are now in Israel. Beyond that, we are in contact with other neighbouring states, because, you understand, what is happening in Israel is related to the wider region, possibly related to an effort that was underway for a full normalisation of relations between the countries of the region. And this crisis breaks out, terrorist acts from a certain direction that do not want this normalisation, this strengthening of regional cooperation. So, yes, we are very concerned, we are in contact with other states, in addition to Israel, and with Egypt, which is a factor of stability, with some Gulf countries. I hope, the first thing we hope, is that this situation will stop. It is difficult, I want to repeat, but it is certainly something that affects the Republic of Cyprus.
There are no, and it is demonstrated by what is happening in Israel since yesterday, what some people call at the international level frozen crises, frozen conflicts. You see from one moment to the next what happens. So, for me, this is yet another indication of the necessity to move forward as soon as possible with a solution to the Cyprus problem. This state of affairs that we are experiencing today offers no security whatsoever and we should do everything possible, and this is what I will do from our side, to move towards a resolution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of the agreed framework."
Asked to refer to the issue that arose with the Russian journalist and Moscow's reaction, the President of the Republic said: "allow me when matters touch on issues of public security to refrain from making any public statements."
In response to a journalist's remark that Cyprus-Russia relations seem to be strongly shaken, President Christodoulides said: "I repeat, on matters of public security I do not wish to make any statements."
Relations with the Russian Federation are defined within the framework and our status as an EU member state. There is an illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, as there was in Cyprus in 1974 and it (the occupation) continues, and quite rightly the Republic of Cyprus is on the right side of history."
Asked to comment on Moscow's accusations on the issue of the Russian journalist, the President said: "I want to be responsible when we talk about public security issues. I fully understand the journalistic interest. When it comes to public security issues, I am not going to make any public statement."
(PM/MB)
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