‘Cabinet announcements to move forward as planned’

The composition of the new cabinet will be announced as planned, president-elect Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday at a memorial service for Eoka fighter Grigoris Afxentiou at Machairas monastery.

He added that the announcements on the composition of the new government will be made as planned, noting that there is a government and we should not rush ahead with announcements about the new Cabinet.

“Everything is ready, and it will take place as planned,” he said.

Christodoulides had said that the announcement of the new cabinet will be made on Monday or Tuesday.

In his statements, Christodoulides said that “we honour as we should, the memory of the deputy leader of Eoka, Grigoris Afxentiou, and to show that we truly honour his memory we must learn lessons from his sacrifice, from the heroic struggle, the national liberation struggle of Eoka.”

Christodoulides also stressed the need for cooperation, an example which can be drawn also from Afxentiou’s and the Eoka’s sacrifice, as he said.

“Collectiveness, understanding, cooperation, is a historical necessity, which is also imperative due to the multiple challenges we have to face, either externally or domestically,” he added.

He noted that the message of the new government is cooperation and expressed optimism that, there will be a positive response from everyone, to work together, collectively, so that they can meet the expectations of the Cypriot people.

Asked if a meeting with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Brussels has been arranged, he said it has not yet been arranged. He noted that the European Council meeting is scheduled for March 23, and that there was still time. Christodoulides said that Guterres will be in Brussels for very few hours, “but certainly, either in a separate private meeting or within the framework of the European Council, I will have the opportunity to send the messages that I wish, in continuation of the recent meeting I had with the Turkish Cypriot leader as well as the meetings I will have with European officials when I am in Brussels.”

Answering a question about the proposals he submitted to Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar for offering help to the earthquake victims, Christodoulides said that these are proposals also made by the current government, “and this is why I say that we should not rush with the cabinet, because we have a government, which is taking very serious decisions.”

He noted that the has expressed to Tatar readiness “to contribute in any way we can, in any way they wish, so that this tragedy can be dealt with.”

Christodoulides noted that, within this context, the Republic of Cyprus, as an EU member state, has expertise and cooperation with the European institutions, and that it is ready to contribute in this direction.