Greek Cypriot President Anastasiades expects Turkey’s contribution to a new process

ATHENS – Anatolia News Agency

Nicos Anastasiades was the main South Cypriot political leader to support the UN-led imitative for the reunification of the island in 2004. AP photo

If North Cyprus shows flexibility, what is needed for a solution in the island is already in existence, the recently elected South Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said in an interview with a Greek weekly published March 10. 

Expressing his expectations about Turkey’s contribution to a new process, Anastasiades reiterated his stance prior to elections and said he wanted a solution respectful to both Turkish and Greek Cypriots’ rights. 

“We want a solution that will reunite our island, without backwardness or concessions. I will never accept a definitive division of my nation and I will always strive for a solution that will guarantee the human rights of every Cypriot,” he said, adding that any solution initiative should be directly monitored by the European Union.

Anastasiades also emphasized that in order to prevent the process’ failure a consensus of all the political forces in Greek Cyprus as well as a close cooperation with Greece was indispensable. The Greek Cypriot president added that he was ready to talk with any country that intended to make a contribution to a solution. “We want the United States and Britain to use their leverage. We will also benefit from the Russian’s good relations with Turkey. We will ask Russia to convince Ankara [to help],” he said.

Anastasiades, who was the main South Cypriot political leader to support the UN-led imitative for the reunification of the island in 2004, said it was not beneficial anymore to talk about the so-called “Annan plan” and that a new process needed to be initiated.