The EU’s renewed interest, combined with the UN Secretary-General’s clear political will to resume the negotiation process on the Cyprus issue, allow us to view these developments with cautious optimism, Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou said on Sunday.

Mr. Ioannou, who was speaking at the memorial service for the soldiers of the 398th Infantry Battalion who fell during the Turkish invasion and at the prayer service for the discovery of the missing persons from Potamia, noted that memory is an integral part of our historical consciousness, adding that the greatest vindication of our heroes’ sacrifice can be none other than the liberation and reunification of our homeland.

“Fifty-two years after the tragedy of 1974, we remain steadfastly committed to the goal of ending the occupation and achieving a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Cyprus problem, based on the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, the agreed framework, the European acquis, and the principles and values of the European Union,” he added.

He noted that the Government is working consistently and resolutely to create the necessary conditions that will allow a return to the negotiating table.

“In this effort, we have the full support of our partners in the European Union. The recent appointment of European Commission Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto as the European Union’s Special Envoy for the Cyprus issue is a particularly significant development, which reflects the European Union’s heightened interest in resolving the Cyprus issue, as well as the efforts being made by the Republic of Cyprus to ensure the Union’s substantive involvement in the process,” he added.

He also said that the European Union’s renewed interest, combined with the clear political will of the United Nations Secretary-General to restart the process, “allow us to view these developments with cautious optimism.”

“Our side will continue to make the most of every opportunity that arises, with consistency, credibility, and political will. Cyprus, for which our heroes sacrificed themselves in 1974, is a free, peaceful, and reunified homeland. A country where all its lawful citizens will live in conditions of security, stability, and prosperity. “This remains our duty to our heroes and to future generations,” he emphasized.

He also noted that the search for all those missing continues.

Referring to the 28 soldiers of the 398th Infantry Battalion (IB), who fell in battle during the Turkish invasion of 1974, defending the freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Ioannou said that “at the same time, we are praying today for the fate of the two missing persons from Potamia, Andreas Varnavas Kourounas and Panagiotis Loizos Karagiorgis, to be determined.”

“Fifty-two years later, their absence remains an open wound for their families, for the community, and for our entire country. The 398th Infantry Battalion is among the National Guard units that paid a heavy toll in blood during the Turkish invasion. Based in Kythrea, the men of the Battalion were on the front lines of the operations from the very beginning. “They fought in the Epichos area and later in the Tziaos enclave, selflessly carrying out the missions assigned to them,” he said.

During the second phase of the invasion, in August 1974, Mr. Ioannou continued, they faced the invader’s superior forces, remaining faithful to their oath and duty until the very end.

“The sacrifice of the 28 fallen soldiers, the ten soldiers who are missing, and the losses suffered by the Battalion rank it among the most battle-tested units of the National Guard. The people we honor today did not become heroes because they sought glory. They were young people who found themselves facing the most difficult conditions and chose to do their duty. They had families, dreams, and their whole lives ahead of them. But when their homeland called upon them, they placed freedom above their own lives. And that is precisely what makes their memory timeless,” he added.

Memory, the Minister of the Interior emphasized, is an integral part of our historical consciousness.

“It is the force that reminds us who we are, what we have endured as a people, and what our duty is toward future generations. We draw strength from the past and our heroes to build a better future for our country. It is with the same emotion that we stand today alongside the families of the two missing persons from Potamia. “For their relatives, but also for all the generations of Cypriots who have followed since then, time has never brought the cycle of mourning to a close,” he added.

As he said, the search for the truth continues, and the State has a duty to work until the fate of all missing persons has been fully ascertained.

“This is a matter of the utmost humanitarian importance, but also an obligation arising from international law and respect for human dignity. The fallen soldiers of the 398th Infantry Battalion are part of the history of the Greek Cypriot people. Their memory reminds us that freedom, democracy, and dignity are not a given, but require constant defense,” he said.

“Today, we bow our heads in respect for the sacrifice of the soldiers of the 398th Infantry Battalion and all those who fell defending the Republic of Cyprus during the dark summer of 1974,” he added.

With the same sense of responsibility, Mr. Ioannou said, “we continue the struggle to locate all those missing and to reunite our homeland.”

Source: CNA