Klelia Vasilou, Deputy Government Spokeswoman expressed the Greek Cypriot side’s readiness to engage in a fresh round of UN-sponsored talks for a Cyprus settlement from where they all left off last summer during the Cyprus talks in Crans Montana, Switzerland.
Speaking at the funeral of Nicola Michalou, a Greek Cypriot killed by Turks during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Vasiliou pointed out that a fresh round of talks should be preceded by the necessary preparation while the necessary good will from all parties concerned and especially Turkey should be in place with the aim to attain the positive result we all are looking forward to.
She pointed out that illegal actions and provocative statements such as the recent violation of the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone should be terminated, adding that the solution of the Cyprus problem would come only through dialogue and joint efforts, with each side respecting the rights of the other.
“The solution of the Cyprus problem according to the UN resolutions on Cyprus, the principles and values of the EU, whose Cyprus is a fully-fledged member, would prove to be to the benefit of the Cypriots, Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins alike’ she went on to say.
Referring to the problem of the missing persons in Cyprus, Vasiliou said she does not underestimate the progress achieved by the Committee on the Missing Persons adding however that “the majority of the cases of our missing has not been investigated.”
“A total of 851 compatriots, the majority of those initially registered in the Committee’s list are still considered as missing,” she stressed.
Vasiliou said that Turkish occupying troops should allow the exhumations in the so-called military areas, as well as to provide investigators access to their records, where there are data for the most cases of missing persons.
Last July the UN-sponsored talks in Crans Montana, Switzerland, failed to bring about the reunification of Cyprus divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Last February, Turkish warships blocked twice a vessel bound for drilling activities in Cyprus’ EEZ block 3 on behalf of Italian energy company ENI.
https://in-cyprus.com/news/business/total-to-expand-natural-gas-search-off-cyprus/
Source: CNA
