House President Annita Demetriou on Monday said that she hoped for fewer statements to be made on the Cyprus problem in the coming period, stressing that “the less we say, the more we let diplomacy work” as she exited the day’s National Council meeting.

“Now, more than ever, is the time for responsibility,” she said, before adding that the goal must be to “take advantage of the window of opportunity, to start substantive negotiations for a solution within the agreed framework, and to safeguard the convergences reached”.

Those negotiations, she said, must be conducted “based on United Nations resolutions and European principles and values”.

“The Cyprus issue is neither suitable for political games, nor for patriotic one-upmanship. Instead, it requires composure, responsibility, and hard work,” she said.

Asked whether she is optimistic about the state of affairs regarding the Cyprus problem, she said that “it is not a matter of optimism, but a matter of hard work and careful diplomatic moves”.

“The goal is not unattainable, if and as long as correct and careful diplomatic moves are made. This is what our side must strive for,” she said.

On this front, she said that “specific moves are being made in the right direction”, pointing to developments in relations between the European Union and Turkey and “broader developments” in the region as examples.

“The Cyprus issue can never be examined in isolation. It is linked to all these developments,” she said.

She added that “the times are critical and we really want to take advantage of this time frame, so that we can achieve the goal we all desire: to move one step further”.