Press Releases

With regards to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Reports on his Mission of Good Offices and the UN Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes the following:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs positively assesses the UN Secretary General’s expressed commitment regarding the need to achieve progress towards the start of a substantive and targeted negotiation process, with the aim of reaching a solution to the Cyprus problem.

In this regard, the Secretary General's conclusion that, despite the importance of the Technical Committees and the positive effects of Confidence Building Measures, only the achievement of substantial progress towards the resumption of talks with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable solution, can act as a safeguard for Cypriots and the international community as a whole, for a common and peaceful future in Cyprus.

Of importance also is the reference that, in this context, the Secretary-General continues to be guided by the UN Security Council Resolutions, which define the UN parameters for a bizonal bicommunal federal solution.

As regards the situation in the buffer zone, the reports record violations by the Turkish occupation forces.  In particular, they refer to a series of violations in Pyla, in the area of occupied Famagusta, in Strovilia, and in the wider Nicosia region.

Nevertheless, the continuation of an equal distance approach and of assigning equal responsibilities to both sides, lead in many cases to the non-objective reporting of the situation on the ground, and definitely fail to reflect the fact that there is an ongoing Turkish occupation and violation of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974.

In the same vein, references to humanitarian issues, such as the living conditions of the enclaved and that of the missing persons, regrettably remain under-reported, largely downplaying the actual situation on the ground, and the responsibilities of Turkey as an occupation force.

The Republic of Cyprus remains steadfastly focused on our overarching objective and is exerting every possible effort in cooperation with the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy to create the conditions for a return to the negotiations, ending the fait accomplis of the invasion and reunifying Cyprus and its people, on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.

(MP/MS)