In a statement Mavroyiannis said he will work to put on the table a path to peace and prosperity and reaffirmed the need to “find a solution under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), according to information from the national state radio.

The former ambassador to this global institution announced his candidacy after obtaining the support of the Working People’s Progressive Party (AKEL), although he affirmed that his candidacy is “independent”.

AKEL is a political force that advocates a demilitarized and non-aligned nation and a federal solution to the internal problem between Greeks and Turks, who have been at loggerheads since the establishment of the Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1974.

In that year the Eurasian country’s army occupied 36.2 percent of the national territory following a coup d’état in Greece and fears that the island would be annexed to Greek.

Mavroyiannis resigned as negotiator last April after considering that there was no progress in the talks with his counterpart.

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