President of the Republic Demetris Christofias has praised UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his contribution in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem during his term in office.
In a speech at a dinner hosted in his honour by the Cyprus Federation of America on Monday, President Christofias said “irrespective of the difference of opinion, this SG did his utmost to help us promote a solution to the Cyprus issue”.
He said “the SG has been under a lot of pressure to make statements on the procedure of the talks and on convening an international conference, but at the end, I believe we have maintained our positions and pressure from some of our allies has not been successful”.
President Christofias said that international leaders are aware of the Cypriot positions and “unfortunately, our views have been vindicated”.
The Cypriot President praised the role of the Cyprus Federation and its members, noting that it has been very significant and helpful for the government.
“I would like to thank you for our cooperation, not only in the past five years but also the seven years when I was the Speaker of the House of Representatives”, he said. “It was fruitful and effective”, he added.
He also paid tribute to the humanitarian activity of the Federation and the work of the members of the Cypriot community.
President of the Federation, Panicos Papanicolaou praised the cooperation of the Cypriot community with President Christofias and the government in the past five years. “We want to thank you for the cooperation we had in the past five years and the sincerity with which you have handled the problems and the issues we have raised”.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. The latest round of peace talks started on September 2008, aiming at a negotiated settlement that will reunify the country, under a federal roof.
President Christofias has already said he will not seek re-election during the presidential elections in February 2013.