Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgos Kotsiras pointed out the contribution of the Diaspora to the international community’s awareness for the Cyprus issue, in his address during the opening ceremony of the World Conference of Cyprus Diaspora, a foreign ministry announcement said on Wednesday.
“This year marks a black anniversary for Cyprus and for Hellenism”, Kotsiras noted as “we are counting 50 years since the illegal invasion to Cyprus”.
Kotsiras said that Greece and Cyprus in solidarity and united with fraternal bonds respect the international law and promote the common national aim of a fair, peramanent and mutually accepted solution of the Cyprus issue based on the resolutions of UN.
He also pointed out that “the perpetuation of the current status quo or the creation of two states in Cyprus are not acceptable solutions, neither for Greece nor for Europe”.
The deputy minister praised the contribution of Hellenism of the Diaspora in the defence of national claims, stressing that “the struggle to awaken the international community” for the Cypriot issue “also goes through the Diaspora”.
In this context, he underlined the importance that the current Greek government attaches to the strengthening of ties with Hellenism everywhere and referred to a series of recent initiatives in this direction.
He placed particular emphasis on the Strategic Plan of the Foreign Ministry for Greeks Abroad 2024-2027, which has been put up for public consultation and aims to strengthen the ties of the metropolitan center with the Greek Diaspora, the essential and two-way communication with it and the strengthening of the Greek element around the world.
“We invest in a national capital relationship with the Diaspora which in return strengthens Hellenism, strengthens our voice” and “the voice of Cyprus”, Kotsiras concluded.
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
