The President of the Republic, Mr.Nicos Anastasiades, received today, at the Presidential Palace, the former President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr.Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
After the meeting, Mr. Pavlopoulos told reporters that "I always remain and will always be a member of Hellenism who will fight until the end for the vindication of Cyprus, for finding a solution that is in accordance with international and European law.
I have explained to President Anastasiades, my great friend, for years, that even now in my academic capacity, I will always be a kind of fulfillment assistant to show that the just solution of the Cyprus problem for us Greeks and Cypriots, for Hellenism, is in essence the defense of international and European legitimacy.
We do not claim the vindication of Cyprus because we seek only to vindicate our history. We do so because as long as this unacceptable situation is perpetuated, there is a precedent which is a plague on international and European law and this is all the more true in these times. It applies as long as we see what is happening in Ukraine.
We should understand well that before there was barbarity in Ukraine, before there was this unthinkable and unacceptable, inhumane attack by Russia on Ukraine, there was another barbarity 48 years ago. Turkish barbarism on this island. Barbarism that continues. And the more we tolerate it, the more we weaken the arguments we have so that others will not attempt the same things in the future.
In this we are united across and beyond political differences and above all we are unyielding.
The international community and the EU must learn that yes, we condemn what is happening today in Ukraine, we condemn Russian brutality in Ukraine. We expect, and a lot of things will depend on it, the same attitude with regard to Turkey's issues.
Turkey must be subjected to the same sanctions. They both violate international, and for us because we are members of the EU, and European law.
But one thing to remember. We are not going to tolerate a fait accompli again. Much more so today. This thing is also about defending our great European family, because no one knows, if we tolerate these things, if tomorrow, for example, the same thing will happen against another European country - the threats are already many, we can see them. Let us now stop this tolerance. So far, 48 years, almost half a century, is too long. It is a trauma at the expense of peace, democracy and humanity."
President Anastasiades then sat down to lunch with Mr Pavlopoulos.
(PM/MG/EHR)
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