The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides met on Monday the representatives of the Maronite community.

The representatives asked that the right to visit two of their villages in Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, namely Ayia Marina and Asomatos, be included in the Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) he will discuss with the Turkish Cypriot leader.

The meeting was attended by the Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus H.E. Selim Sfeir, the Auxiliary Bishop for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem H.E. Bruno Varriano, the Charge d’ Affaires for the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See in Lefkosia, Monsignor Giorgio Chezza, the Representative of the Maronite religious group at the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, Yiannakis Moussas, and the community leaders of the occupied Maronite villages, Pantelis Hadjifessa, Antonis Karrahannas, Antonis Solomou and Christakis Hadjiantonis.

At the beginning of the meeting, President Nikos Christodoulides expressed his pride in the Maronites of Cyprus, whose four villages, as he said, remain under occupation. He added that “the efforts we are making concern the survival” of the Maronites and that “this is why we are making many decisions, such as the operation of the school (in Kormakitis) and the increase in resettlement allowances”.

The President acknowledged the “particular sensitivity” regarding the two villages that the Maronites are unable to visit, which, as he noted, was also the main subject of the meeting. “This is what I would like to discuss today. I do not want to say more publicly. What matters is the outcome”, President Christodoulides stated.

During the meeting, the Maronite Representative in the House of Representatives, Yiannakis Mousas, congratulated the President for his “relentless efforts” on the Cyprus issue. Speaking after the meeting, Mousas said that the President briefed them on the progress of developments and his upcoming meetings with the Turkish Cypriot leader. He added that “we expressed the full support of the Maronite community for his efforts”.

Asked about the situation of the two Maronite villages, Ayia Marina and Asomatos, in which currently Turkish military camps are situated, he said that efforts have been made over time to remove the military presence and allow people to return to their properties. He noted that this is crucial for the survival of the Maronite community. “Without its villages, its long-term survival is impossible”, he stressed, noting that they have asked the President to include their request in the Confidence-Building Measures to be discussed with the Turkish Cypriot leader.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

UN Secretary General announced that an informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format will be held at the end of July, following a similar meeting in Geneva, on March 17-18. Antonio Guterres also announced that he will appoint a new personal envoy on Cyprus to prepare the next steps, while the two sides agreed to proceed with a number of initiatives, involving the opening of crossing points, the creation of a Technical Committee on Youth and other initiatives in the buffer zone and throughout the island. The first meeting of the two leaders, following the meeting in Geneva, is set for April 2nd.