AKEL on the Draft Report of the UN Secretary-General
Statement by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A. Kyprianou
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10th January 2018, Nicosia
The draft biannual report of the UN Secretary-General for the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) includes some important references with regards the negotiation procedure.
The UN Secretary-General concludes that from the Crans Montana conference onwards the two sides are still in a period of reflection to determine whether and when the conditions for a procedure that will be meaningful, aiming at achieving a comprehensive solution of the Cyprus problem. Furthermore, he reitterates that his good offices remain available to assist the two sides should they jointly decide to re-engage in talks with the necessary political will. He reiterates his encouragement to the sides to preserve the body of work based on the convergences and common understandings reached in the course of the past years of negotiation.
AKEL, all this time after the Crans Montana breakdown stressed that the outgoing President’s assurances that he is ready to continue the negotiation will not persuade the UN Secretary-General. This is reflected in his Draft Report. This was to be expected, given that Mr. Anastasiades continues to set terms and preconditions instead of clearly accepting the proposals of the UNSG A. Guterres. The report vindicates AKEL’s relevant positions and leaves Mr. Anastasiades exposed.
The Secretary-General of the UN also takes a position on the issue of natural gas, issuing a warning that this is an issue that could lead to tensions. It is important, as he underlines, to ensure that any natural resources found will benefit both communities, while he considers them as a strong incentive for a solution. He also recalls the Christofias – Talat convergence previously agreed that natural resources would lie within the competence of the future federal government. As AKEL, we have always stressed that these convergences constitute a shield of protection and must be safeguarded as the most valuable thing achieved.
It is evident from the report that the outgoing President didn’t convince the UN Secretary-General of his readiness for a resumption of the negotiations from the point where they had left off at Crans Montana. With this given situation in mind, the negotiation procedure cannot resume. The only candidate who clearly states that he will proceed as the Secretary-General of the UN calls for is Stavros Malas.
