Archbishop backs Christofias on talks

ARCHBISHOP Chrysostomos yesterday appeared to be mending fences with the government ahead of new Cyprus talks due to start in September.

After a meeting with President Demetris Christofias, with whom he has had a number of run-ins, Chrysostomos said the Church supported new efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.

The Archbishop said he was satisfied with the briefing he received and with the positions expressed by the President regarding the principles for a Cyprus settlement.

“We wish the President success, because his successes will be to the benefit of our people and homeland,” Chrysostomos said.

Only three weeks ago, the Church leader incurred the wrath of ruling AKEL after he criticised their handling of the Cyprus problem in a speech he made in Athens.

“I know what the people want, but sometimes the people are asleep when the leadership is not vigilant. There is a risk of indifference and everyone has to be on national alert,” he had said.

“Because the entire political leadership accepted a federation and so that the people of Cyprus would not be divided, it is with great pain that the Church and Archbishop accepted a federation.”

He also said it was his right to speak his mind about the Cyprus issue and was not trying to divide people.

Yesterday, he said of his meeting with Christofias: “The President stated unequivocally that will stick with his principles until the end. He will claim the rights of our people and wants a solution that people could easily survive in the land of their forefathers. We agreed on this and I am very satisfied,” he said.

As part of his determination to be informed of developments, the Archbishop met on Wednesday with House President Marios Garoyian, and again expressed his support for negotiations.

He also plans to meet other party leaders, and said he would seek meetings with the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Britain, France, Russia, China and the US.

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.