President Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday he considers the UN General Assembly and the October’s European Council Summit to be of decisive importance as regards prospects for the resumption of Cyprus peace talks.

Delivering a memorial speech at the national memorial service of the heroes of the community of Lagoudera, the president said that while the country’s pending national issues constitute an open wound, “we must fulfil our duty towards the present and the future of the country, doing everything possible for the liberation and reunification of our country.”

“As we work towards a more unified Europe, an EU member state, our homeland remains divided for almost half a century. The continued occupation of European territory for more than 49 years is an anachronism that must be ended,” he noted.

The president said that our historical responsibility is nothing more than to restore historical continuity in our country and in this way to ensure the future of Cypriot Hellenism in our homeland.

He noted that in this critical period the country is going through, and that the government is focusing based on a specific plan, in order to resume talks and achieve the termination of the occupation, the reunification of Cyprus, “in order to free our homeland from the occupying troops and establish conditions of peace and perspective for the future.”

He added that they are working to achieve developments that will transform the European citizens of Cyprus into first-class citizens who are not deprived of basic human rights and basic freedoms in their own homeland.

“It is in this context that I consider the General Assembly of the United Nations, during the second fortnight of September, but also the European Council in October to be of decisive importance as regards perspectives for the resumption of the talks,” he said.

President Christodoulides added that to achieve the lifting of the impasse and the resumption of talks, the existence of a strong domestic front is an absolute prerequisite, expressing his satisfaction on what was discussed at the national council earlier this week.