President’s wish for quick solution and unity

PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday he had sent a basket with Cypriot produce to Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat with good wishes for the New Year.

“I sent to him the usual basket of goods with Cypriot products that I send to the ambassadors with wishes for a good year,” said Papadopoulos.

“I hope the messages is clear; that what we seek is a quick solution of the Cyprus problem and the reunification of our homeland.”

Earlier yesterday, during a brass-band ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Papadopoulos said there was no greater vision than the reunification of Cyprus.

House President Demetris Christofias who attended the event echoed his words.

Asked what his vision was for the New Year, Christofias said: “A peaceful settlement of the Cyprus question and the reunification of our homeland and people. Our vision is a united Cyprus, a demilitarised Republic of Cyprus, without settlers and with the human rights of all the people of Cyprus recognised and respected in practice.”

He said he hoped during 2006 would be the turning point to solve the Cyprus problem.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.