We consider the visit by the US Vice President to our Island, after a spell of 52 years, as a pleasing development. The occurrence of this visit at a time when efforts to find a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem have been stepped up, is the clearest indicator that a comprehensive settlement constitutes a priority in the agenda of the international community.
The establishment of a federal partnership based on power-sharing in Cyprus upon the speedy and successful conclusion of the full-fledged negotiations being conducted under UN auspices is of great importance as it will contribute to a climate of confidence and peace on the Island, as well as the engendering of fields of cooperation and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is our opinion that any kind of support extended by the international community towards this ultimate objective will strengthen the present momentum.
The underlining by Vice President Biden that a comprehensive settlement is a priority and his announcement that the two leaders have agreed on accelerating and intensifying the negotiation process, is a concrete step within this context. The Vice President announced that the US would like to see speedy and substantive development on the core issues which would pave the way for the final phase of the negotiations. Reaching this objective will only be possible through respecting the convergence papers produced until today and, as also expressed in the Joint Statement dated 11 February 2014, concentrating on the core issues which are yet to be resolved in the negotiations. Another positive outcome of Biden’s visit is the decision taken by the two Leaders to revitalize the Technical Committees. It is of great importance that this exercise, among others, is configured as such to serve the comprehensive settlement.
At a time when the negotiations to find a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem are underway, one should bear in mind whether one is considering the past, present or future of Cyprus, that a legitimate government on the Island having the capacity to represent the whole of Cyprus can only be established through the free wills of the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot peoples on the basis of equality.
The Turkish Cypriot side will continue its sincere efforts towards the establishment of a new partnership based on the parameters laid out in the Joint Statement which will provide for the effective participation and representation of both peoples. The support extended by the international community to the said efforts within the framework of the established UN parameters and fairness, will play an important role in the successful conclusion of this process.
23 May 2014,
Lefkoşa.