Nicosia.- CNA

Bi-communal peace initiative United Cyprus called on Friday for bold steps to be taken to break down the deadlock in the effort to reunify the island.

Replying to a question, Costas Christodoulides, on behalf of the initiative said that the opening of the fenced-off part of the city of Famagusta, known as Varosha would be a bold step. It would be a bold step, he added, on the part of Turkey and it could constitute a very important step towards reaching a solution.

On his part Soteris Vlachos said that another bold step on the part of the Greek Cypriot political leadership would be to admit that the problem of missing persons does not concern purely the Greek Cypriots but also the Turkish Cypriots. Such a declaration on the part of the Greek Cypriot political leadership, he added, would persuade the Turkish Cypriot community of our good intentions.

Speaking at a press conference Costas Christodoulides in Greek and Şener Elcil in Turkish referred to the ongoing negotiating process between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu and expressed their “sincere concern regarding th loss of steam of the whole process and the repercussions that this hs over the whole spectrum of the political, economic and social sphere”.

The peace initiative, they said, in cooperation with the Bi-Communal Initiative of Relatives of Missing Persons “Together We Can” is intending to organise a series of events in early autumn in their honour.

Replying to a question he said that they are planning to get together Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot artists and to erect a monument in memory of all those who perished in the last 50 years.

On September 1, the Initiative together with all trade unions from both communities will hold a mass event intending to push forward the peace process, they announced.

“Remembering the victims of 50 years of inter-communal violence and war we need to stand together, Greek and Turkish Cypriots alike, to work for peace and reconciliation, demanding bold steps to break down the deadlock at the negotiating table”, they said.