” “"I am optimistic. It is a big step forward". With these words, mgr. Giorgio Khoury, Secretary general of the Maronite Church, the largest congregation of local Catholic devotees, over 5 thousand, comments the opening, in Nicosia today, of negotiations between the Greek-Cypriot president Demetris Christofias and the Turkish-Cypriot president Mehmet Ali Talat, to try to reunite the island that has been divided since 1974. "The two leaders states Khoury to SIR seemed to be optimistic and Talat said he hopes they will find a solution before the end of 2008. Now we expect the Turkish Cypriots to do their best: for instance, a road should be opened in the north west of the island which will be useful to reach the Turkish area more easily". "We support the reunification of the island goes on the Secretary general . This would also enable us to recover four Maronite villages, two of which have been converted into military bases, and several churches. We want all the population to come back and live as they did before 1974. The negotiations for the reunification are a strong message for Europe; with so many walls that are erected across the world, there is one that is pulled down".
