Akel urges National Council meeting amid buffer zone concerns

Akel General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou has urged for the immediate convocation of the National Council in light of recent developments in the buffer zone near Ayios Dhometios, a request he addressed to President Nikos Christodoulides in a letter.

In the letter, Stefanou said that the recent events within the buffer zone highlight the substantial risks stemming from the prolonged deadlock in the Cyprus problem.

“The repeated violations of the buffer zone rules and the resulting insecurity particularly for the residents of the area once again demonstrate the enormous dangers we face due to the prolonged impasse in the Cyprus problem,” Stefanou said.

He then further expressed concern that the initiatives announced by the President regarding the appointment of an UN envoy for the Cyprus problem have not yielded the expected results.

“We have not paved the way for a renewed dialogue, which is imperative in preventing the creation of new fait accompli situations,” the letter continued.

According to Stefanou, the request for convocation of the National Council meeting aims to shed light on “the grave negative developments occurring and to discuss both the visible and invisible measures announced, as well as to exchange opinions on what needs to be done.”

“It is evident that the continuation of the prolonged deadlock cannot persist, and in this direction, we believe substantive initiatives must be taken,” Stefanou said.

Moreover, he reiterated Akel’s stance for consistency in the agreed framework for a solution and a positive agenda that extends beyond the Euro-Turkish relations, aiming for the resumption and continuation of substantive dialogue from the point it was interrupted at Crans Montana.