The Government remains steadfast in its efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem despite the intransigence of the Turkish side, Government Spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Sunday.

Speaking at a memorial service in Paphos Cathedral for those who fell during the 1974 Turkish invasion, Letymbiotis said the administration fully acknowledges the historical responsibility it bears and the significant challenges ahead.

“Our desire for a solution remains undiminished, and our commitment unwavering,” he said, adding that from the first day in office, President Nikos Christodoulides made it a top priority to resume substantive negotiations from where they left off—always within the agreed UN framework.

Letymbiotis pointed to consistent and active diplomatic initiatives, including the appointment and recent reappointment of a UN Personal Envoy, the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Cyprus, and multilateral conferences in Geneva and New York, with more planned, as concrete actions aimed at breaking the deadlock.

“These efforts have put the Cyprus issue back at the centre of the international community’s attention, during a period marked by regional and global turbulence,” he said.

He underlined the strong reaffirmation of support from the UN Secretary-General, the EU, the US, France, Greece, and the UK—two of which are permanent members of the UN Security Council—during the latest multilateral meeting in New York.

“This international consensus isolates and outright rejects Turkey’s unacceptable position for a two-state solution, which falls outside the UN framework,” Letymbiotis said.

He also emphasised the UN’s role as a guardian of legality and said the EU can be a crucial catalyst for peace efforts. The UN resolutions, he noted, act as a shield against revisionism and justify the long-standing commitment to international law.

The spokesman reiterated that the continued Turkish military presence on the island is not only a Cypriot issue but a persistent challenge to the international community.

“It is not acceptable for the international community to tolerate an occupying force that for 51 years has ignored UN resolutions, international law, and basic human rights—especially when that same community rightly rallies behind Ukraine’s sovereignty,” he said.

“The same voice defending Kyiv must also defend Nicosia, Morphou, Famagusta, and Karpasia. The same sense of justice must reach our occupied towns and villages,” he added, calling for consistency and equality in the application of international principles.

Letymbiotis stressed that the Government will continue working closely with the international community for a just and viable solution based on UN resolutions, with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship, and a single international personality—aligned with the EU acquis and the values underpinning the European Union.

Following the memorial, officials laid wreaths at the Makarios and Resistance Monument.