Nikos Kotzias returned to the issue that arose, after his own reports, regarding his removal request, from Andros Kyprianou. Through an announcement of the “PRATTO” Movement, of which he is the leader, Nikos Kotzias this time turned his fire on Alexis Tsipras, who had earlier intervened in the matter.
Specifically, in its announcement, the movement “PRATTO states that it understands the need of A. Tsipras to support the friend of A. Kyprianou, however, his public assurance that” never “, no one, A. Kyprianou or” anyone else, asked him to expel the foreign minister “it is not accurate”.
He also notes that “all of Greece knows, for example, that a minister of the government of A. Tsipras already requested from the summer of 2018 the expulsion of N. Kotzias from the government because of the Nomenclature”.
Greeks know and judge both “nobody” and “never”. “As valid as these assurances are, his statement regarding A. Kyprianou is just as valid”, he adds.
He also stressed that “PRATTO and its President will continue to fight for a united Cyprus, a 'normal EU member state', without occupying troops and a guarantee regime.”
“In this fight, the real face of everyone will be seen and who was or was not bothered by N. Kotzias and his PRATTO policy regarding the Cyprus issue. “History and truth are not falsified and are not negotiated,” he concludes.
Tsipras intervention
Earlier, the former Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, intervened in the confrontation that broke out between the General Secretary of AKEL, Andros Kyprianou and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Nikos Kotzias, on the occasion of the latter's references in the “interview” .
In his speech, the former Prime Minister of Greece Alexis Tsipras categorically denies the reports of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, regarding the request of the General Secretary of AKEL, Andros Kyprianou, for his removal from the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece.
Specifically, responding to a question from the Cyprus News Agency, regarding the report of Mr. Kotzias, that the General Secretary of AKEL had requested his removal from the position of Foreign Minister, Alexis Tsipras noted that: “Never the Secretary General of AKEL or anyone another, asked me to dismiss a minister of my government and especially the Minister of Foreign Affairs “.
Confrontation against the background of the references to “F”
It is recalled that a controversy broke out between the General Secretary of AKEL, Andros Kyprianou and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Nikos Kotzias, after the latter's reports, in an interview with “F” on Sunday, that Andros Kyprianou “before the end of the in Geneva, asked the former Prime Minister of Greece, Alexis Tsipras, to remove him from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece “.
The General Secretary of AKEL, returned to the issue, refuting the reports Kotzia, even talking about a “great challenge”.
Specifically, Mr. Kyprianou stated that : “The challenge is great. I understand that Mr. Kotzias needs attention. I repeat that he is lying and he knows it. It is based on gossip by stingy people. I have never raised such an issue with Mr Tsipras. Nor could I interfere in the internal affairs of any Greek government.
AKEL Mr. Kotzia is a patriotic party in practice and not in words. He fights for the liberation and reunification of Cyprus. Exemption from possession and guarantees. So you do not need lessons from anyone. “
Earlier, the “PRATTO” Movement, led by Nikos Kotzias, commented that Andros Kyprianou avoids taking a position on the substance of the issue, while reiterating that the General Secretary of AKEL raised the issue from Geneva and not through his transfer to Athens, where AKEL focuses its answer.
“The General Secretary of AKEL does not answer whether or not he raised the issue of Kotzia. We all know that with his policy, the then Greek Foreign Minister was bothering the occupying power and its well-known supporters. The General Secretary of AKEL certainly knows that he raised, as he should not, “Kotzia issue” and that is why he avoids denying it. Maybe, in retrospect, he is ashamed. I wish. As for the round the world, which he does to hide the truth, no one said that he raised the issue during his trip to Athens. As he says in his book, Nikos Kotzias raised it from Geneva. “As it is known, the lie has short legs”, reports the “PRATTO” Movement.
It was preceded by AKEL's initial response to Nikos Kotzias's reports in the interview, which states that “ AKEL General Secretary never met Mr. Tsipras in Athens with Mr. Katrougalos to request the resignation of Mr. Kotzia “.
Typically, AKEL had stated in a written statement that “Unfortunately, Mr. Kotzias insists on coming back with allegations which, in order to prove them, he is playing with countries, cities, people and their reputations.
The Secretary General never met Mr. Tsipras in Athens with Mr. Katrougalos to request the resignation of Mr. Kotzias. Let Mr. Katrougalos be asked about this, instead of Mr. Kotzias constantly coming back and asking again and again for questions, answers and spectacles.
Finally, for the record, the first to put on the negotiating table the issue of the abolition of guarantees, which is AKEL's timeless position, was Dimitris Christofias “.
What Nikos Kotzias said in an interview with “F” on the issue:
“The secretary general of AKEL avoids like the devil the incense to refute the essence, that, that is, he asked Tsipras for my removal from the position of Greek Foreign Minister. It bothered him that I raised the issue of guarantees and possession. It was rumored in Geneva that my policy did not reflect the Greek government. Why did he do it? He knows.
In the book, and in fact in a footnote – and in this by the way – I mention that he made this blow to Tsipras “accompanied by Katrougalos” before even “the end of the negotiations in Geneva”. He claims that he had never seen Katrougalos before 2019 when he became a minister, which is obviously not true. Katrougalos was in Geneva as Greek Deputy Foreign Minister and met with Kalpadakis there.
The main false argument of the secretary general of AKEL, in order to avoid the truth, is that he did not go to Athens after Geneva as soon as I write. But nowhere in the book is it said that he went to Athens to have a conversation. He sets up false information, in order to “defeat” it himself. The book clearly states that this happened “before the end of the negotiations in Geneva”. “There are people who are bothered by the truth, but not by provocative actions.”
