Archbishop Georgios of Cyprus said that Greek Cypriots are the first to seek a solution to the Cyprus issue, having endured the consequences of the 1974 Turkish invasion and the island’s continuing occupation.
Speaking in Paphos after celebrating the Divine Liturgy at the Chapel of St. Photios, located at the children’s summer camp of the Metropolis of Paphos near the community of Statos-Agios Photios, the Primate of the Church of Cyprus expressed hope that United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres would uphold the founding principles of the United Nations in efforts to resolve the decades-long dispute.
“What we expect to hear is a solution that respects human rights, free from prejudice and without fear of the powerful,” Archbishop Georgios said.
Responding to a question about whether a more active role for the European Union in the negotiation process could help secure a settlement that safeguards the rights of all the island’s inhabitants, the Archbishop said the EU could indeed provide protection against arbitrary actions.
“The European Union can protect us from certain forms of arbitrariness,” he noted.
However, Archbishop Georgios stressed that the outcome would also depend on the determination of the Greek Cypriot side to remain faithful to its principles.
“It will also depend on us—on how firmly we insist on our principles and whether our side refuses to compromise on fundamental issues of human rights,” he concluded.
Source: news.rik.cy
