Statement by the General Secretary of the C.C. of AKEL A.Kyprianou on the UN Secretary-General’s Report for the renewal of the UNFICYP’s mandate
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 11 July 2019, Nicosia
With satisfaction we note that the UN Secretary General has proposed the renewal of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) mandate until 31 January 2020, arguing for the necessity of its presence on the island and its contribution towards maintaining peace and stability. However, he indirectly sends out a warning stating that “any significant changes to the configuration of the United Nation’s activities on the ground will necessitate considerations of mandate and available resources.”
He repeatedly reiterates with meaning what he had also pointed out in a previous Report namely that “there is a consensus that the status quo, that is to say a lack of a resolution to the Cyprus problem, is not sustainable” and “that the horizon of an endless process without results is behind us, not before us“. He also reiterates his call on all parties to “engage in the current consultations exercise constructively, creatively and with the necessary urgency“, stressing that “the parties should redouble their efforts to restore full-fledged negotiations and their engagement should be infused with a sense of purpose and determination to reach a successful end within a foreseeable horizon.”
He in essence strongly criticizes both sides for the few if any concerted efforts at all to improve the public atmosphere surrounding the negotiations despite the repeated encouragement which both he himself and the Security Council have made. He indeed demonstratively points out that they continue to disagree about the substance and blame each other for the persistent deadlock. He also calls on the two leaders, among other things, to take clear, even unilateral moves to restore the damaged confidence and resume the dialogue with the support of the United Nations.
He expressed satisfaction for the implementation of agreed Confidence Building Measures (CBM), calling at the same time for the solution of any technical problems that remain, as well as the discussion of further CBM’s. He states that without the United Nations policy as set out in the relevant decisions on the issue of “recognition”, this in itself should not constitute an insurmountable obstacle towards this direction.
Once again, the UN Secretary General regrettably does not take a stand on the substance of the issue of Turkey’s provocative actions within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus and confines himself to repeating that he is monitoring developments with concern, while urging the parties to make serious efforts to avoid the further escalation of tension and eradicate it. He underlines yet again that “the natural resources found in and around Cyprus should benefit both communities” and that they constitute a powerful incentive for all parties to find “a mutually acceptable and durable solution to the Cyprus problem”.
It is evident that the UN Secretary General considers our side to be jointly responsible for the current situation. There is only one available way for such assessments not to continue indeed with the danger of becoming worse if the Secretary General at some point were to lose his hopes for a resumption of the talks. That is to say, the President of the Republic clearly and in no uncertain terms, on the sole precondition of Turkey ending its provocative actions, should convince the Secretary General that he is indeed ready to continue the talks in the way the Secretary General is proposing.
