24 Ιούν Intervention by Spyros Hadjigregoriou of United Democrats at Ledra Palace meeting
BICOMMUNAL MEETING AT LEDRA PALACE, ON WEDNESDAY, THE 22ND OF JUNE 2016 AT 10:30AM
THE FUTURE FEDERATION OF OUR COMMON HOMELAND
Madam Ambassador,
Dear friends,
I would like to thank the EPALXI PARTY for bringing this timely topic for Discussion, at our today’s meeting.
I have listened with great interest to what to my friend Dr. Kypros Chrysostomides, chairman of EPALXI, said about the future federation of our common homeland. Also, I found very interesting what my honorable friends have stated on this very important subject.
Before I proceed with my presentation, let me explain what a federation is; Federation is a system of shared governance that enables the common needs of people to be achieved while accommodating diversity. As a matter of fact, worldwide there are some 25 countries that have federal political systems, meaning that about 40% of the world population lives in countries with a federal system of government; many of which are multicultural and multinational in their composition. So, I can safely state that today’s federalism continues to evolve.
The solution of the Cyprus problem will essentially lead to the reunification of our country, where we shall enjoy security, stability and unprecedented economic prosperity.
I realize that I run the risk to repeat what many from this floor have already stated but my vision for Cyprus remains the same; it is a vision of peace, freedom, security, mutual respect, cooperation and prosperity for ever and ever.
I am 84 years old and my earnest wish is to live, till the day of the reunification of my country, and to hand – over to our children and grand children, a united homeland where they can peacefully live in a Federal Cyprus, without the fear of war and misery.
A vision must be precise and clear and it must be guided by our willingness and by our determination to live and prosper together in a common federal homeland and in a multicultural society.
The United Democrats fully endorsed the content of the agreements of the reached declaration between the leaders of the two communities on the 11th February 2014.
As far as I know, our leaders have never repeated what Perez de Cuelliar has stated in his report to the Security Council on the 8th March 1990 that “Cyprus is the common home of the Greek Cypriot community and of the Turkish Cypriot community. The relationship is not one of majority and minority but one of two communities in the state of Cyprus. The solution must provide respect of the human rights of all citizens of the Republic, as the cultural religions, social and linguistic identity of each community”.
If I may quote what Mr. Mustafa Akinci said in his address on the 13th of June 2016 at Château Status, the building facing this room; G/C and T/C should see each other, not as enemies but as future partners.
I hope that we are now entering another stage of speeded up negotiations. We hope that Turkey will not transform the mineral resources, situated under the exclusive sea belt of our country, from a heavenly blessing into a curse from the devils.
Unfortunately the interested parties have never agreed as to what is best for our country and for our compatriots but they always take into account first and for most, their own interests.
I would like to end my contribution to our today’s deliberations by saying that another important reason for failing so far to re-unify our country is that because our beautiful island has been all along a victim of the cold war.
Let us hope that at last we have learned from our past mistakes, it is never too late; let us reach to a solution of the Cyprus problem, no later than tomorrow.
Ishallah
Spyros Hadjigregoriou
United Democrats
22nd June 2016
