By Con Charalambous
The international community is recognising our honest intentions in working towards a settlement of the Cyprus issue, President Christodoulides stressed, further noting that in the two and a half years he's been in government, everyone is praising Nicosia for its readiness to achieve substantial progress and kickstart negotiations.
In a speech at the EOKA fighters Kokkinotrimithia holding camp during 'Prisons Memorial Day', the President expressed the conviction that Cyprus can reunite to the benefit of all its legal citizens and gave assurances that in a spirit of 'determined realism', he will continue efforts, hoping that 'we will reach the blessed day of freedom'.
On the home front, he stressed that the five priorities of his plan are continued reforms to modernise institutions, strengthening defence and security, maintaining a strong economy, combatting corruption and improving the citizens daily living standards, through quality health, education and social welfare services, part of a people-friendly state.
'The effective management of the migration issue is an example of the government's determination to deal with daily challenges', the President added, and the citizens of Kokkinotrimithia, the area in which he spoke, can confirm, he underlined, the drastic change in the migration challenges they were facing before.
He reiterated his assessment that at international level, Cyprus is now recognised as a pillar of stability and security both in the Eastern Mediterranean and the wider Middle East and through certain initiatives it is becoming a stable hub of humanitarian assistance, a beacon in a crisis-ridden region.
On the upcoming Cyprus Presidency, now just 52 days away, the President said it was a national mission that will provide the country with the opportunity to further promote the active and substantial role that the homeland can play.
'We are present in regional developments, with influence', Christodoulides stressed, and continue to be responsible, credible, confident and progressing.