The Greek Prime Minister’s presence at the memorial for Glafcos Clerides on Sunday was anything but purely ceremonial. He chose to deliver clear, forceful messages on the Cyprus issue and the need for movement guided by patriotic realism and an active diplomacy.
“In foreign policy, positive developments come only with active diplomacy, not with stagnation that cements what is wrong and ultimately leads to marginalisation,” Kyriacos Mitsotakis underlined.
“And with the conviction that whoever has strong arguments and justice on his side can, yes, change the balance – responsibly but boldly, with realism but also with determination. The experience of Clerides, and the lessons of recent decades, teach us that paralysis can ultimately mean retreat, and that behind the bluster of present-day pseudo-patriotism lie the failures of the future. We have no need of those – neither in Nicosia nor in Athens. What we need is the patriotism of responsibility, of realism and of results,” said the Greek PM.
Mitsotakis also spoke of the complete alignment of Athens and Nicosia on the Cyprus question “with consistency and determination, achieving – after Crans-Montana and a long period of inertia – the resumption of informal discussions on Cyprus under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.”
“This is a development to which the Hellenic Republic has contributed decisively, always in full accord with the government of the Republic of Cyprus, adhering to the existing UN framework for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality, and clearly rejecting as unacceptable the arguments for the creation of two states.”
The above remarks come at a time of growing speculation about movement on the Cyprus issue, as Turkey seeks a closer relationship with the European Union (as reflected in its interest in joining the SAFE defence programme) and the United States shows renewed interest in energy matters. Three members of the Trump administration will take part in the upcoming Partnership for Transatlantic Energy Cooperation (P-TEC) conference hosted by Athens on 6–7 November.
The path of truth
Mitsotakis hinted at seizing the moment to restart talks on Cyprus, highlighting the political example left by Glafcos Clerides and likening his approach to that of Eleftherios Venizelos. Venizelos, a nationalist and broadly conservative statesman, did not hesitate to take difficult decisions.
“At a time when others chose the easy road of slogans, he (Clerides) followed the steep path of truth. While many sought applause, he sought solutions, with the imprint of his political outlook reflecting the Venizelist approach, which did not submit to the flow of events but always sought to shape it.
“‘The politician,’ stated DISY’s founding declaration – these are Venizelos’ own words – ‘must follow the politics of truth, have the courage to confront the crowd’s delusions and educate it. He must not be swayed by sentiment or public opinion, knowing that nothing is nobler than confronting demagogy, even at the risk of one’s popularity, for the good of the country.’”
Pillars of security
DISY president Annita Demetriou, for her part, noted that “political consistency and patriotic realism are more relevant than ever,” and described Cyprus and Greece as pillars of security and stability in the region.
After the memorial service at the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas in Nicosia, Mitsotakis went to DISY headquarters, where he received a warm welcome.