Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said the government remains committed to restarting negotiations on the Cyprus issue, stressing that the Republic “will never accept the status of occupation,” in an Easter message broadcast Sunday.
Christodoulides said efforts continue to resume talks “immediately” on the basis of the agreed framework and previous negotiating acquis, with full respect for EU principles and law.
He noted that while church bells will ring across the government‑controlled areas for Easter, they will not sound in the island’s occupied towns and villages, adding that the consequences of the 1974 events “continue to affect our country and its people.”
Despite difficulties and what he described as intransigence, Christodoulides said the government is working to overcome obstacles to a new round of negotiations.
Referring to broader geopolitical developments, he said current conditions highlight the need for seriousness, unity and responsibility from state institutions, society and individuals.
