[PIO] Statements by the President of the Republic

The President of the Republic, Nicos Christodoulides, said today that he will send the report of the Audit Service to the Attorney General of the Republic.

In his remarks to journalists attending the lunch hosted by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union (EU) on the occasion of the conclusion of its six-month presidency, the President of the Republic, asked to comment on the statement of the Audit Office and asked whether he will return the money to which the Audit Office refers, said: "As President of the Republic of Cyprus, I have to ensure the credibility of the institutions. I will not make any public comment. I will send the report to the Attorney General and I will listen to his views."

Asked if there is a question about him personally, since there are spikes left, the President of the Republic said: "It is not the first time, in the last few days we have seen things. Yes, reading the report, I was surprised by the fact that the Auditor General was informed that I was also performing the duties of the Government Spokesperson following a recent complaint. In any case, I repeat that I have an obligation, a responsibility as President of the Republic to ensure the credibility of the institutions, despite personal bitterness and sadness. Let me remind you that the Auditor General had publicly referred to cooperation with the present Government in an interview with the CNA. Then some other issues arose. In any case, I will appeal to the Attorney General."

Asked about the Greek Prime Minister's meeting with the Turkish President today, President Christodoulides said: "I will be informed by Mr Mitsotakis after the meeting with Erdogan. I hope that positive results will be achieved. I believe that the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations is something that will help our efforts as well."

Besides, it is also known that Athens' position is that there cannot be complete normalization without the resolution of the Cyprus problem, so any meeting, which will have positive results, I believe will help our efforts as well."

Asked to refer to the situation in the buffer zone and specifically in Deryneia, the President of the Republic said: "There is a contestation from the Turkish side of the buffer zone, with different incidents, a long-standing attitude that we do not under any circumstances underestimate. We have appealed to both the United Nations and the European Union, we are taking all those actions - this is our priority - to make the people living in the surrounding areas feel safe and whenever more needs to be taken one day you can be sure that we will do so."

To a journalist's remark that the occupation regime is constructing fortification works in Deryneia, the President of the Republic said: "We have information about what is being done. Of course, I would not want to publicly (report). There is this approach of questioning the status of the buffer zone in general. It is a fact, I saw it when I visited Agios Dometios recently, but I also see it every day from the reports we receive."

In response to a journalist's remark that the other side is putting conditions on the term of office of the envoy to be appointed by the UN Secretary General on the Cyprus problem, the President said: "There are no conditions, I heard the statements. The UN Secretary General is bound by the resolutions of the UN Security Council, that is where the Secretary General gets his mandate from. Hopefully there is political will and we can clearly move more quickly towards the resumption of talks. It will not take six months if there is political will."

In response to a journalist's remark that the Turkish side is ruling out federation, the President said: "The Secretary-General, who we hope will appoint a personality to explore the prospects for resuming talks, is bound by the very resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. That is where the UN Secretary General gets his terms of reference from, so his envoy is also operating within the same framework."

Asked whether the Turkish side responded positively to the appointment of a specific personality, the President said: "We have no official information from the United Nations that there has been an official response. We know from statements (from the Turkish side) that were made."

Asked to comment on the arrest of Cypriot students in Athens during a protest event against Erdogan's visit there, the President of the Republic said: "I have seen it through reports, I do not know the details but I have read it."

Asked if he is concerned about the intention of parties to submit amendments to the divestment bill, President Christodoulides said: "I am concerned about any amendments which may not lead to the desired results. Amendments that are made not to serve those who are really in need. One is the strategic defaulters, who take advantage of any delay, and another is those - and there are - our compatriots who are in real need. I am following the debate that is taking place, the statements from the parties. I hope that an outcome will emerge that will lead me to sign the relevant law that will be passed. Otherwise, I cannot sign something that will endanger the country's economy. When we jeopardize the economy, the credibility of our country, we will create such problems that will have a chain negative impact, either on the targeted social policy that we want to promote or on the issues of education, health and others."

(PM/EAth/AF)
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