Cyprus House President Yiannakis Omirou has said that there is an imperative need for change of strategy on the Cyprus issue and for discussion of the fundamental chapters of the Cyprus problem such as the issue of settlers, the territorial, the issue of security and guarantees.

Speaking Sunday at the annual memorial service of former Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, Omirou said that two and a half years since the beginning of the direct negotiation process for the solution of the Cyprus problem, “we are against a painful reality. The illusion of the so called flexible policy, which should have taken us out of the deadlock, is a utopia. There is no more room for allowances. The danger for a plan in the parameters of the UN proposed Anan plan is real. There is no room for wishful thinking. The views expressed by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side for confederation and partition of Cyprus undermine the negotiations, leading them to a deadlock”, he said.

For this reason, the House President noted, the Greek Cypriot side should decisively reject and denounce positions for confederation and partition and should solely blame the Turkish Cypriot side for the deadlock that will ensue.

“The need for a complete change of strategy is now more necessary and imperative”, he said, adding that the Greek Cypriot side should insist on the discussion of the territorial, property and security issues, as well as the issue of guarantees and the withdrawal of the Turkish troops and settlers from the island. The Greek Cypriot side should insist on the withdrawal of the proposals that result with Greek Cypriots becoming second class citizens, he added.

Omirou noted that the period until the 7th July Geneva meeting of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, is extremely crucial in safeguarding the Greek Cypriot’s side position on the basis of international and European law principles, the UN resolutions on Cyprus, and the High Level agreements of 1977 and 1979. “It is probably the last chance to withdraw our unilateral compromises and to put the discussion on Cyprus on the right dimension”, he said.

Referring to the former Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, Omirou said that he was identified with the struggles and anguish of Cypriot Hellenism. “From the ‘60s Andreas was stating that the essence of the Cyprus problem had almost nothing to do with the two communities in Cyprus and their effort to live together”, Omirou said.

Cyprus has been divided since the Turkish invasion in 1974. UN-led negotiations are underway between President Christofias and the Turkish Cypriot leader in an effort to reunify the island under a federal roof.