by XINHUA NICOSIA, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus' Defence Minister Christoforos Fokaides has stressed the need for consensus and unity in the internal front on the Cyprus issue, sending the message that the government will continue its effort for a just and viable solution. Fokaides, who was addressing a memorial in Larnaca, said that "we all ought to join our forces" into a common course with an aim the negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem to have a positive outcome, according to Cyprus News Agency on Sunday. "The efforts taken by the President of the Republic and the government, mobilizing the international interest and utilizing the new opportunities created as a result of the important economic prospects in the energy sector, shape the framework for a new national consensus," he said. The defence minister noted that in this crucial time, "we must learn from the past, avoid mistakes and to learn from the faith of our heroes." "A viable and functional solution that will reunite our homeland," he said. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and controlled the north of the island after a coup by a group of Greek officers. Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu reached on Feb. 11 an agreement, which led to the resumption of peace talks to reunite the country. Enditem
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