In statements after the Epiphany celebrations in Larnaka, on Monday, and asked about his expectations in 2020 on the matter of missing persons, Photiou said that "the effort continues."

Unfortunately, he added, "in recent years the results do not inspire hope and optimism that we can find a great deal of remains belonging to our missing persons."

Right now, Photiou said, there are still 820 missing persons in Cyprus, or 50% from the initial list of missing persons and unfortunately most parents depart this life without having been able to hold a funeral for their loved ones."

He assured families of missing persons that "we will continue the effort until what became of every single one of our missing persons can be determined."

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning the remains of missing persons to their relatives.