Cyprus Talks: No foreign troops in a reunited Cyprus as talks faces critical developments says Anastasiades

Cyprus: Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has said that the Greek Cypriots side will not accept guarantees and foreign armies in Cyprus if there was an insistence on guarantees and foreign military in Cyprus and the issue is not addressed, then a solution would be impossible to reach.



Speaking at a formal dinner hosted by the Federation of Cypriot American Organisations in New York on Friday night, Nicos Anastasiades said;

“We are facing critical developments and significant dilemmas.”

Also in attendance at the dinner were Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, Greek Cypriot Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, Greek Cypriot Government Spokesman Nicos Christodoulides and other top officials from Greek Cyprus and Greece.

Anastasiades is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci on Sunday.

Anastasiades briefed those at the dinner on the course of the talks repeating what he said at the UN General Assembly on Thursday and what he would say to Ban Ki-Moon on Sunday, noting that there have been progress made as well as stagnation.

“There are problems that if not resolved means it might not be possible to arrive at an acceptable solution, which meets the concerns of the Greek Cypriots,” he said.

“What we seek is to achieve a solution which respects the rights of all Cypriots in a way that does not create winners or losers.”

Anastasiades said that security would be provided for the Turkish Cypriot community through the new structures of the new state that will be agreed on from a solution.

He said a bizonal federation would create the conditions for the constituent communities to have their own administration, but that the the power held by the central state would not be disregarded. 

“So I do not see why some should insist that Turkey continue to maintain even a minimum number of troops and how it should have guarantee rights,” he said.

“In a modern European state it cannot be expected that European citizens would want others to guarantee them. It must be understood by all those involved and wanting to help solve the Cyprus problem, that the Cyprus issue should not be exploited to accommodate wider interests.”

In a brief address by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, he said that a solution could not include guarantees and foreign troops.

“We must work for a just solution with all human rights respected and where Cyprus will be an independent, sovereign country with no foreign guarantees and occupation armies,” he said.

Source: Cyprus Mail