"Your destiny is in your hands", says UN Secretary-General

A solution to the Cyprus problem is possible and within reach, despite the difficulties, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said when he arrived in Cyprus on Sunday evening.

But, he stressed, the process belongs to Cyprus.
“The destiny is in your hands. You have taken responsibility for finding a solution”, he said.

“I am here to show my personal support to the Cypriot-led talks to reunify the country", Ban told reporters at Larnaca airport. “My visit is a reflection of the importance I will attaché to the current efforts of their excellencies, Mr. Christofias and Mr. Talat to reach a settlement.”

He said for over 45 years the UN has been in Cyprus helping to keep the peace and contributing to the efforts to bring about normalcy on the island.
“So I am under no illusion that the Cyprus problem is easy to solve or about the difficulties you face. At the same time, I am confident that a solution is possible and within reach,” he said.

The UN Secretary General said he was impressed by the enormous personal commitments shown by the two leaders over the past 16 months and the significant progress that has been achieved recently on governance and power-sharing,

“I am here to encourage the two leaders to bring these talks to a successful conclusion. Reaching a mutually-acceptable solution will require courage, flexibility and vision as well as a spirit of compromise.”


The UN Secretary General last night attended a banquet hosted by President Christofias in his honour

Speaking at the banquet, President Christofias said: “Our aim is the reunification of this country: the people, the institutions, the economy, and to ensure that the United Federal Republic of Cyprus will be a functional and viable state, able to work effectively as a member-state of the European Union”.

He said the aim was for these negotiations to succeed but admitted that there are important chapters which have not even been touched upon, or which have not been sufficiently discussed.

The president assured Ban that he would "spare no effort in striving to overcome all obstacles and finally reach a solution: a viable, functional and , under the circumstances, just solution, to which both communities will agree, so as to rid the agenda of the United Nations of this long-standing problem.”

On his part, the UN S-G reiterated the UN’s continued support for the peace process in Cyprus and the great importance they place to the current efforts.

"From the beginning, this has been a Cypriot-owned and Cypriot-led process with the Cypriots taking responsibility for reaching a settlement" .

He told President Christofias: "You have been given a clear mandate by the people to solve this issue. And you are delivering" .

"Together with Mr. Talat, I am confident that you can bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion. To bring this successful conclusion to a mutually acceptable way will require confidence, vision, and flexibility as well as a spirit of compromise. A settlement of the Cyprus problem will create enormous opportunities for this country. It will also have a positive impact on the wider region. And as your Excellency knows, the international community has high expectations for your efforts, and it supports you", he concluded.