Address by the President of the Republic of Cyprus,
Mr Dimitris Christofias, at the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe
Tuesday 30 September 2008

Mr President,
Mr Secretary-General,
Distinguished Assembly Members,

I would like to thank the President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mr De Puig, for inviting me to address this august body, as well as for his kind introduction.

It is indeed an honour for me to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the first time since I was elected President of the Republic of Cyprus earlier this year.

The institution of the Council of Europe, endowed with the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights and its accompanying Protocols, is a unique achievement for which every European citizen may justifiably feel proud. Forty seven European countries have jointly embraced a codified system of values, adopting and implementing procedures, such as the right of individual recourse, which are an important step forward for mankind in the field of safeguarding human rights.

The competent authorities of the Council of Europe, particularly the Court of Human Rights, the Committee of Ministers, the Commissioner for Human Rights and, of course, the Parliamentary Assembly itself, execute an important mission in a particularly vital field and I would like from this venue to congratulate them for succeeding in establishing the authority of their decisions throughout Europe. 

The Republic of Cyprus is firmly committed to the principles and values of the Council of Europe and the European Union. It fully appreciates the Council of Europe and recognises the unique role it plays in accomplishing the noble mission that has been assigned to it. The Parliamentary Assembly constitutes the democratic means for promoting the basic principles of the Council of Europe and, as such, its contribution, through the efforts of its members, is greatly appreciated by the people of Cyprus in particular.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the active interest the Council of Europe has taken in safeguarding the human rights of Cypriots who have suffered as a result of the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation of a large part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus by over 40 thousand well-armed Turkish troops.

We deeply appreciate the valuable contribution that the European Court of Human Rights has made to the protection of human rights and basic freedoms of all Cypriots. Allow me, however, to add that the Judgments of the Court must be fully respected and the Committee of Ministers must act so that they are effectively implemented.

Mr President,
Members of the Assembly,

Tomorrow, October 1st, we celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the independent Republic of Cyprus in 1960, the joint achievement of both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Despite the many difficulties the Cyprus Republic has been through in its history, its reunification is our vision. A united Cyprus, a functional state with a federal structure where the human rights and freedoms of all Cypriots without exception will be respected, should be our common legacy to our children and grandchildren.

Unfortunately foreign interventions and wrong choices made by certain circles in both communities on the island from the first few years of independence, prevented the development of this homeland for the benefit of all Cypriots. Instead of practical day to day cooperation within the framework of the institutions of the new state, which would have been the natural continuation of a long history of harmonious co-existence over centuries, the two communities found themselves opposed to each other, as a result of foreign intervention and the actions of certain chauvinist groups.

Foreign interventions in Cyprus’ internal affairs reached a peak with the military coup of the Greek junta and the Turkish invasion in July – August 1974.

Personally, I am someone who in the past has resisted and fought chauvinism. I am glad to say that in the noble struggle we waged as fighters of the Popular Movement of Cyprus, I fought alongside the present leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mehmet Ali Talat from the beginning of the ‘80s. This more than anything else gives me hope that we can succeed in finally reaching an agreed solution that will serve the interests of Cypriots and not those of any foreigners.  

I would like to reassure you that I remain committed to the common vision that we worked out together with Mr Talat and his predecessor, the late Ozker Ozgur – whose memory I salute – during the 90’s as leaders of AKEL and the Republican Turkish Party respectively. This vision was expressed in joint decisions and public statements of both communities after meetings between delegations led by the two leaders. What does this vision entail? It entails a solution and reunification based on the relevant UN resolutions and the 1977 and 1979 High Level Agreements between the leaders of the two communities under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.

Together we envisioned the transformation of the unitary state to a federation through the implementation of the principle of political equality between the two communities, as defined in the UN Security Council resolutions. Together we envisioned a Cyprus for Cypriots without the presence of foreign troops, without the mass presence of foreign nationals as settlers who would change the demographic composition of the population. We envisioned a federal united and common homeland, where the differences and identity of each community would be respected.

At the same time it would also underline and cultivate the many common traditions and practices in our culture, which both Cypriot communities have developed over centuries of peaceful co-existence and cooperation.

We envisioned a Cyprus where any conflict between the communities will, in the context of a united economy, be replaced by a healthy competitiveness and an alignment of interests between the various classes of the population, irrespective of which community they come from.

Mr President,
Members of the Assembly,

I would like to declare before you my faith in the Cypriot identity that has evolved from centuries of living together and which we must foster and promote. I am a Greek Cypriot and proud of my roots and identity, but equally I fully respect Mr Talat’s right to be different and proud of his roots and his identity. As a politician, however, and as President of the Republic of Cyprus in particular, I have the good of the country as a whole at heart, thinking as a Cypriot who wants to serve all of his countrymen and create the right conditions to ensure that an undivided Cyprus, one that is our common homeland, survives.

All Cypriots have suffered and we are all victims of the tragedy, or rather the tragedies that have struck our country. We all need to benefit finally from a return to political normality and the restoration of our human rights, which we have been deprived of for so many decades.

Mr President,

A new intense effort to solve the Cyprus problem began on 3 September aimed at overcoming past deadlocks and achieving progress that will lead to the reunification of Cyprus under mutually agreed terms, and to the withdrawal of all foreign troops after 34 years of division and foreign occupation

These talks are taking place under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General in the framework of his Good Offices Mission that the UN Security Council gave to him through relevant resolutions. These also set out the legal and political framework in which these negotiations are taking place.

The UN Secretary-General’s Good Offices Mission entails a process of negotiation between the leaders of the two communities, this process being owned by Cypriots themselves. The role of the Secretary-General and the international community is to provide help and support. Good Offices do not mean arbitration. Nor do they mean mediation. Recent experience has shown that any imported plans that do not serve the interests of Cypriots, will be rejected by the Cypriot people.

The framework for a solution outlined by the relevant resolutions foresees a bizonal, bicommunal federation with a single international personality, a single indivisible sovereignty and a single citizenship. Federal institutions will embody the principle of political equality as laid out by the relevant UN resolutions. This political equality is defined not as numerical equality but as the effective participation of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in all the organs of the federal state.

It is important to remember that such a bizonal, bicommunal federation is the only agreed basis for a solution since 1977 and was recently reaffirmed by the leaders of the two communities. This represents a compromise, in actual fact the only possible compromise, on whose foundations a new political arrangement can be built. The relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the Constitution of Cyprus rule out partition or secession or unification with another country.

Mr President,

I wish to reassure you from this podium that I have the political will needed to do whatever is necessary to solve this problem. I am supported in this statement by my aforementioned actions during the Popular Movement in Cyprus, which is proud of its long history of struggle and sacrifice in support of the friendship, cooperation and peaceful coexistence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Furthermore, I am also amongst those Cypriots who were directly affected by the 1974 military invasion since my family and I were displaced and became refugees in our own country.

Allow me at this point and from this podium to make certain specific suggestions which, I believe, will improve the climate surrounding the negotiations and will increase their chances of succeeding.

I would like first of all to say that during my recent meeting with the UN Secretary-General in New York last week, I suggested that he promote an agreement to cancel the annual military exercises that are held each autumn in and around Cyprus. I refer specifically to the Nikiforos exercise, carried out by the Cyprus National Guard, and the Toros exercise, carried out by the Turkish military forces in Cyprus.

In addition, I propose that measures of military de-escalation also be agreed upon and implemented, such as the disengagement of forces, particularly in the Nicosia region, including the full demilitarisation of the old town of Nicosia within the Venetian walls, the designation of a Demilitarised Zone, and other measures.

We are fully aware that the procedure that has started will be difficult. This has been clear from the outset. On our part we will work as hard as we possibly can and spare no effort to ensure it has a successful outcome. We do not have the luxury to fail. No solution is not a solution, as some people claim. On the contrary, the lack of a solution, with the problem still pending, will probably lead to the permanent partition of the island, which is the worst possible outcome for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. The people have voted for us on the basis of promises we have made to do everything possible to achieve progress. We must not disappoint them, or the international community.

I believe that we can and that must succeed. This is what guides all my political actions. This is the incentive that led me to seek election as President of the Republic of Cyprus and I hope and believe that it will constitute the pinnacle of my political career.

The will of the Cypriot people for a solution is essential. However, it is not in itself, sufficient. Turkey, too, must contribute to the process in a positive way. Turkey maintains over 40,000 troops and tens of thousands of colonists in Cyprus and can undoubtedly determine the outcome of the issues being discussed. We believe that the solution should and will benefit everyone. It will allow all Cypriots - Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots - to live and work together in an independent prosperous country within the family of the European Union, without the presence of foreign troops and illegal settlers, in conditions of safety and where everyone’s identity and rights will be respected. It will also give an impetus to Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union of which Cyprus is already a full member.

We expect that Turkey will rise to the occasion and fulfil its obligations to the Republic of Cyprus arising from its efforts to join the EU. In this way Turkey will contribute positively to the efforts to find a solution that will respect the basic principles of International Law, the principles and values of the European Union and of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Thank you.