A Cyprus government source says the most significant element in the UN Secretary-General’s latest reports to the Security Council is the emphasis placed on the European Union’s role in reviving Cyprus problem negotiations.
The source was commenting on two reports submitted to the Council: one on the Good Offices mission, the other on UNFICYP’s activities on the island. It said the EU references carried particular political significance, especially regarding the importance of EU support for the Secretary-General’s efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.
Nicosia believes these references confirm a consistent goal pursued by President Christodoulides since taking office, that of securing more active and substantive EU involvement, always within the UN framework and in support of the Secretary-General’s efforts, the source said.
The Cyprus government said the Secretary-General sees a window of opportunity, and that this matches its own reading of the situation. It credited this to efforts made by the Cypriot side from the outset. The source added that Nicosia has been working since the beginning to create this window and ensure it is fully used, with seriousness, consistency and commitment to the goal of resuming substantive negotiations from where they were interrupted, on the basis of the agreed framework and Security Council resolutions.
Nicosia’s initial reading of the reports also points to the Secretary-General’s continued engagement in efforts to peacefully resolve the Cyprus problem, and highlights the intensification of dialogue between the two leaders as a positive development.
On Varosha, the government described the Secretary-General’s references as clear and significant. It said the UN chief continues to monitor the situation and reiterates that the United Nations’ position remains unchanged, and that the reference to Security Council resolutions 550 and 789, and the need to comply with them, confirms that the international legal framework remains clear and binding.
The source stressed that “no action creating new faits accomplis can be accepted.”
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