President Nicos Anastasiades has stated that unity is not merely essential but a precondition for survival and stressed that now is the time for collective action for better days to come for the country.

He also said that miracles do not happen overnight and that there are no easy or immediate answers but policies that will require a certain period of time to yield results.

Addressing the annual pancyprian meeting of the reservists’ commandos in Nicosia, Anastasiades thanked them for their selfless and valuable services in the defence of the nation.

In a speech, read by Defence Minister Fotis Fotiou, the President referred to the permanent threat that Cyprus is facing from Turkey, which occupies 37 percent of the island’s territory and questions the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its Exclusive Economic Zone while at the same time it remains intransigent in efforts to solve the Cyprus issue.

“Our objective is to fully implement human rights for all citizens, to end Turkey’s occupation and create a modern, functional and united European state that will not allow anyone to question its single sovereignty, international personality and citizenship”,  the President remarked.

“We have an obligation, united, to fight collectively in order to secure our just goals. We should leave discord in the past. We have no other alternative but to handle the problems with understanding, unity and concerted action. Now is the time of responsibility, collective and comprehensive effort to bring better days to our country and a message of optimism to our people”, he added.

President Anastasiades acknowledged that times are hard and “we live at a very difficult time, an unprecedented economic crisis. Despite the difficulties which our economy is facing, hard work and unity will lead us out of today’s difficulties”.

“We pledge to apply all our strength to give back to the country what it deserves, restore our lost pride and give our people hope and prospect for the future. We have been through harder times in our history and managed not only to survive but to thrive”, he concluded.

The Troika and the Cypriot authorities have agreed on a preliminary memorandum of understating which includes the conditions for the granting of the financial assistance programme estimated at €17 billion.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The latest round of direct talks began in 2008 with the aim to reunite the island under a federal roof. The negotiations, which produced little progress, came to a halt last June when the Turkish Cypriot side withdrew from the negotiating table, before Cyprus resumed the Presidency of the Council of the EU July 1 2012.