The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Christos Senekis, stressing that “achieving substantive progress requires political will from all parties involved and, first and foremost, from Turkey.”
Speaking on Sunday at an event celebrating the feast of the Archangel Michael in the occupied community of Pigi, Famagusta, in Kellia, Larnaca, Mr. Senekis noted that “Fifty-two years after the Turkish invasion, the ongoing occupation continues to deprive thousands of our compatriots of the right to return to their ancestral homes. Restoring this right remains an integral part of our efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue,” he said.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
He added that “this is an effort being carried out under complex and difficult circumstances. We know that achieving substantial progress requires political will from all parties involved and, first and foremost, from Turkey.”
“The Republic of Cyprus, under the leadership of President Nikos Christodoulides, is participating consistently and in good faith in the ongoing contacts under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, with the active support of the European Union,” he said.
He emphasized that our goal is to create the conditions for the resumption of substantive negotiations, with the aim of achieving a comprehensive, fair, sustainable, and workable solution. A solution based on the agreed framework and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and in full compliance with the law, the principles and values of the European Union, he said.
“We seek a solution that will end the occupation, reunite our homeland and our people, and create the conditions for peaceful coexistence, stability, and prosperity for future generations. A solution that will restore the fundamental rights and freedoms of all lawful residents of Cyprus and allow displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes,” he noted.
Referring to the occupied community, he noted that the second phase of the Turkish invasion, on August 14, 1974, forced the residents of Pigi and neighboring Peristerona to abandon their ancestral homes. Many, he said, believed at the time that their departure would be temporary; however, the separation turned into decades of life as refugees.
He also praised the efforts of the Community Council, the Ecclesiastical Committee, and the residents to preserve the community’s religious, historical, and cultural heritage of the community and to pass on these traditions to younger generations.
Source: CNA
