Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, who was replying on Thursday evening to a question about the next steps in case efforts to reach a federal solution in Cyprus reach a deadlock, said that all political powers should pragmatically and realistically examine “how to create conditions of peaceful coexistence” on the island.

Anastasiades was speaking during a “State of the Republic” debate organised by the University of Cyprus, NGO OXygono and the Cyprus Youth Board, at the University. The Cyprus News Agency was among the event’s media sponsors.  

Asked what the next steps would be in case the efforts to reach a federal solution in Cyprus reach a new deadlock he said that “it is not a matter of the second-best choice.”

“Political powers should sit down and examine with pragmatism and realism how peace can finally prevail in this country and how it is possible to create conditions of peaceful coexistence one way or another,”, he noted.

At the same time, he underlined that “right now our focus is -and should be- to continue efforts on the basis of everything which has been agreed and everything which is included in UN resolutions, as long as the outcome is one which creates the conditions of a functional, viable state and fully compatible with its capacity as a member of the EU.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.

President Anastasiades also reiterated that every year passing without a solution the situation becomes more unacceptable and that he seeks a solution which “will allow both the reunification but also the functionality of the state.”

A solution, he added, “which will allay concerns by both Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots; A solution which will be based on European values and principles; A solution which will be based on the example οf other countries and not on the establishment of a new example of a state which cannot work.”

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