Cyprus update: President Anastasiades confident a Cyprus solution is realistic in 2016

Cyprus: Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades during the occasion of the 240^thAnniversary of the Independence of the United States of America on Tuesday vowed to continue working assiduously towards achieving a feasible and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

He added that he is confident that a settlement can be possible in 2016 if both sides apply momentum in the negotiation process.

In his speech at the even, he said “we celebrate and honor the founding of a great country; a leading power in world affairs and global economy and a country with impressive accomplishments in the fields of scientific research and technological innovation. We also pay tribute to a country that throughout its history has received millions of migrants from around the world that helped to transform the 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 million people”.

As a melting pot of cultures, the United States is also home to many Cypriot Americans who have also contributed to the country’s development, Anastasiades said, adding the presence in the United States of a substantial Cypriot diaspora undoubtedly serves as an additional active link between the two countries and contributes to further enriching the multicultural character of the American mosaic.

Anastasiades spoke of high level bilateral visits that have played a key role in the evolution of the Cyprus-U.S relations.

“these visits have reaffirmed the continuous genuine interest of the United States in our efforts to achieve a viable and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus Problem, in full conformity with the values and principles of both the Charter of the United Nations and of the EU” and show appreciation to the US Government for the sustainable support to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus.

Anastasiades stressed that he “will continue to work tirelessly in order to achieve a viable and comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem to reunite our country and its people and to create the most credible prospects for prosperity for Greek and Turkish Cypriots in a modern European country where all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all its legal citizens, irrespective of their ethnic origin, are fully protected”.

He said he remains “optimistic that a settlement in 2016 is still possible if both sides engage with seriousness, discussing and submitting constructive proposals on all pending issues, in a spirit of mutual respect”.

The President also conveyed the Government and people of Cyprus condolences and sympathy to the victims of Orlando massacre on Sunday and condemned the violence.
Source: CyprusMail