[PIO] Statements by the President of the Republic

The confrontation between the Legal and Audit Services is an unpleasant and unfortunate development, President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides said today.

Speaking to reporters at an event of the Democratic Party, and asked to comment on the relaunch of "Amalthea", the President of the Republic said: "As I told you in the previous days, after the unfortunate event, the effort to send humanitarian aid to Gaza was resumed.

The needs are constantly increasing and in cooperation with the countries that we started this initiative - with the UAE, with the United States and the European Union (EU) - the mission has resumed. There will also be the completion of the work within the next week, which I believe will help us to further strengthen the humanitarian aid mission."

In response to a journalist's remark that there are questions about the Government's stance on the issue arising between the Legal and Audit Services, the President said: "Some people are seeking, for their own reasons that do not concern me, to link me to one side or the other. I am not being linked in any way whatsoever. Moreover, if I wanted or wished to do so, I could do so."

It is an unfortunate, unfortunate, I think, development of this confrontation that exists. There is a clear separation of powers. Any decision of the court will be respected by me to the fullest extent. I have nothing more to say on this particular matter. It is before the court, I am not going to mention anything else."

Asked what he will do if he is summoned by the Court, the President replied. I have more respect than anyone else, as the guardian of the Constitution, for the judiciary."

To a reporter's remark that the Auditor General says that "the so-called reform" that is about to take place "is aimed at him," the President said: "I am not going to comment on statements by anyone. Our intentions for the transformation of both the Legal Service and the Audit Service were made on 29 January 2024, before there was anything, and these are my pre-election statements, which we are proceeding with and will proceed with in the near future."

In response to a reporter's remark that AKEL accuses him of being a pretentious neutral on the issue of the Legal Service and the Audit Service, calling on him to intervene, the President of the Republic said: "If it could have been avoided, this would have been the most positive development for me. For it not to have been avoided means that those who decided to go ahead wanted to go ahead. It's just the way things are."

Asked whether the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General's (UNSG) proposal on the Cyprus problem involved a trilateral or a quintilateral, the President said: "I am not going to comment on anything on this particular issue. All I want to say is to express my very great disappointment - without commenting on the substance, without commenting on whether what has been made public corresponds to reality or not - that in the National Council we discuss, we agree on some things and these things are not respected by some people. If this is a sign of seriousness, I leave it to the Cypriot people."

Asked to clarify what was not respected, President Christodoulides said: "My statement was clear."

Asked if Turkey's rhetoric is changing in relation to the content of the solution, the President said: "There is nothing up to this moment. Our efforts continue, there is one and only one goal: The resumption of talks from where they have been left off. We are also trying with the EU, the EU is playing an important role, with some EU member states, Germany. And to mention that I have just been informed by the President of the Commission that she will come to Cyprus on 1 May to celebrate together the 20th anniversary of the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the EU. I believe that her presence here sends an important message on the Cyprus issue as well, and we continue our efforts with one single goal."

Asked to comment on information that Turkey supports sovereign equality and not the two-state solution and asked if there is a difference between the two, the President of the Republic said: "There are no such messages. I don't know why they are saying them, who is saying them, what they are aiming at. I am not interested in communication management, I am not here for communication management, and the Cyprus problem does not lend itself to communication purposes. Beyond that there is no difference between sovereign equality and the two states."

Asked if he had any message from Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, who was in Turkey, the President said: "I know he was going to Turkey, we are in constant contact. I have also visited the Netherlands, and I will be informed about the results of the contacts."

Asked if Mr Rutte had a message, the President of the Republic replied."

(PM/NYAN/GC)

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