Greece and Cyprus reaffirm commitment to pursue peace settlement for Mediterranean island

During a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia on Monday, both sides emphasized their dedication to seeking a peace settlement for the Mediterranean island based on the UN-sanctioned premises for a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

“These decisions have been, are, and will continue to be our guiding principles. In the 21st century, we cannot allow this historical wound to persist, causing the bleeding in a sovereign country,” Mitsotakis said.

“The presence of an occupying army in an EU member state, along with the outdated system of guarantees for third-party intervention in its affairs, must not be tolerated,” Mitsotakis said, while dismissing Turkish demands for a two-state solution.

“It is time for the European acquis to be applied across the entire island, and the only viable path to achieve this is through the resumption of negotiations under the auspices of the UN secretary-general,” he said.

The northern part of Cyprus has been occupied by Turkish troops since Ankara invaded the island in 1974.

The Greek premier also commented on the apparent improvement in Greek-Turkish and EU-Turkish relations, viewing it as an opportunity that should be supported, “provided it is gradual and reversible.”

“These two words will serve as our guiding principles in this new endeavor. We can be optimistic, yet we are not naive at the same time,” he said.

In his comments, Christodoulides stressed that the two countries “share common objectives.”

“As much as some people, either in Athens or Nicosia, perceive differences between us for their own reasons, our goals and aspirations are common, as well as the means to achieve them,” Christodoulides said. 

“We are closely monitoring developments in Turkey after the elections and welcome Ankara’s public statements about the desire to strengthen Euro-Turkish relations.”