FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Sunday that strengthening the country’s internal and external capabilities remains central to efforts to end the island’s division and achieve reunification.
Speaking at an annual memorial service in Nicosia for volunteers, fighters and police officers killed during the 1963–64 intercommunal violence, Christodoulides said Cyprus’ foreign policy and broader state strategy are aimed at advancing what he called the country’s “highest national priority.”
He said the events of December 1963 marked a turning point in the island’s modern history and praised those who fought during the clashes, many of whom had previously taken part in the EOKA campaign of the 1950s.
He also referred to the continuing efforts to account for people still missing from that period.
Christodoulides said the consequences of Turkey’s 1974 military intervention remain “unacceptable,” and expressed hope that renewed diplomatic efforts will lead to the resumption of negotiations from where they ended in 2017.
Any settlement, he said, must align with U.N. Security Council resolutions and European Union principles.
The president also highlighted domestic reforms, economic resilience and institutional modernization as part of a broader strategy to strengthen Cyprus’ position.
Internationally, he said Cyprus aims to act as a reliable partner and a stabilizing presence in the region, particularly ahead of assuming the EU Council presidency in 2026.
After the ceremony, Christodoulides laid a wreath at a memorial for those killed in 1963–64 and visited a National Guard outpost to extend holiday greetings to soldiers.