Category: General

Russia has fallen out of grace with the West because it wouldn’t play ball with Europe any longer when it comes to supplying the continent with cheap gas, the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said in an interview released on Monday ahead of a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking to Russia’s NTV channel, Dodik, who heads one of the regions within Bosnia and Herzegovina that is predominantly populated by Serbs, offered his take on the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

He said that “the Russians have been giving cheap gas to Europe and Germany for an unreasonably long time, for years, strengthening their economy.”

“Of course, the West doesn’t like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. How could they like him when he doesn’t give them resources?” he said, adding that the international community should “respect” Russia and understand the role it plays globally.

Against this backdrop, Dodik noted that when the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev started over a year ago, Berlin was willing to deliver “only helmets” to Ukraine, but ended up sending Kiev Leopard main battle tanks. “Why should we believe in their good intentions now?” he asked.

Dodik went on to point out that while the West is trying to portray itself as a “defender of ordinary people in Ukraine,” it never really cared to protect the population in countries such as Syria, Libya or Yugoslavia. The latter came under “baseless” air strikes conducted by Western countries themselves, he claimed.

Dodik’s remarks come after he held a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev in Moscow, during which the two discussed regional security. According to the Serb leader, he also informed Patrushev of the challenging conditions Republika Srpska has found itself in due to Western pressure over its refusal to join the sanctions against Russia.

Meanwhile, the Republika Srpska leader, who has long promoted his region’s independence, was himself hit by US sanctions in 2017 after Washington accused him of obstructing the 1995 Dayton Accords, which put an end to the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On Tuesday, Dodik is set to sit down with Putin in Moscow, with the agenda expected to revolve around economic cooperation, according to Republika Srpska officials. Dodik said he planned to discuss with the Russian leader “how the world would look like in the future.”

Source: Russia Today

Armed insurgents who crossed the border from Ukraine to launch attacks in Russia’s Belgorod region have been defeated, Moscow claims.

Villages near the border were evacuated after coming under shellfire in one of the most significant cross-border raids since the start of Russia’s invasion.

Russia says 70 attackers were killed and insists the fighters are Ukrainian.

But Kyiv has denied involvement and two Russian paramilitary groups have said they were behind the incursion.

Monday’s raid led Moscow to declare a counter-terrorism operation, giving the authorities special powers to clamp down on communications and people’s movements.

The measures were only lifted on Tuesday afternoon, and even then, one of the paramilitary groups was claiming it still controlled a “small, but our own piece of the Motherland”.

The claims by the warring sides have not been independently verified, but any assaults on Russian soil make Nato leaders nervous, and the development could prove a mixed blessing for Kyiv.

‘These are Russian patriots’

Russia’s defence ministry said a “unit of the Ukrainian nationalist formation” invaded its territory and was responsible for heavy shelling on the Kozinka checkpoint and other parts of the nearby area.

As well as killing dozens of what it described as “Ukrainian terrorists” in artillery and air strikes, the ministry claimed to have driven the rest of the fighters back to the Ukrainian border.

But Ukrainian officials said the attackers were Russians, from groups known as the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

“These are Russian patriots who want to change the political regime in the country,” Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar told Ukrainian TV.

The Liberty of Russia Legion said on Twitter on Monday it had “completely liberated” the border town of Kozinka and that its units had reached as far as the town of Grayvoron, further east.

The group said it was continuing to free the Belgorod region and Russian armed forces could not oppose it.

Separately, on Tuesday afternoon the RVC posted a video of its fighters moving towards what looked like a border check-point, saying it still controlled a “small… piece of the homeland”.

Both of the paramilitary groups also told Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne that they were creating “a demilitarised zone on the border with the Russian Federation from which they will not be able to shell Ukraine”.

Who are the fighters infiltrating Russia from Ukraine?

‘Raid plays to Russian narrative’

The cross-border incursion may be embarrassing for Moscow, and go some way to offset the bad optics for Ukraine of reportedly losing control of Bakhmut after months of intense and bloody fighting.

It is also likely to be part of Ukraine’s shaping operations ahead of its coming counter-offensive, aiming to draw Russian troops away from the south where Kyiv is expected to attack.

But it is not a development that is likely to welcomed by the West.

The long-range weapons they have provided to Kyiv, although not used in this attack, still come with the proviso they are not to be used to hit targets inside Russia.

Despite official denials from Kyiv, it is hard to believe this raid was launched without assistance from Ukrainian military intelligence.

It plays into the Kremlin narrative that Russia’s own sovereign security is under attack from malign forces backed by the West.

It is a narrative likely to be fuelled by reports that some of those who took part are linked to far right extremism, reinforcing Moscow’s claim that its trying to rid Ukraine of Neo-Nazis.

Thousands displaced

Belgorod’s governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said several people had been injured in the fighting, including two civilians who were being evacuated from their homes.

Mr Gladkov said that people in several villages had been evacuated and warned those who had fled their homes not to return yet, as Russian forces carried out what he described as a “mopping-up” operation.

He added that air defences had shot down drones overnight, damaging buildings.

Temporary shelters have been set up in the Grayvoronsky district for some 9,300 people who have been displaced, according to local authorities.

The BBC has verified that a building used by Russia’s main security agency, the FSB, was among those hit. It is not clear what caused the damage.

Source: BBC

The UK has sent its special forces to 19 countries since 2011, according to a report by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a London-based charity that conducts research on global armed violence. The deployed British operatives trained foreign militants, carried out assassinations, and reportedly fought alongside child soldiers.

In a report published on Tuesday, AOAV stated that British operatives have been deployed to fight or surveil hostile forces in Algeria, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Somalia, the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

Some of these deployments were into locations in which British troops were already fighting, as was the case in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, UK Special Forces (UKSF) continued their operations in both countries long after regular forces withdrew. In Afghanistan, hundreds of civilian deaths were attributed to night raids by British and American special forces between 2009 and 2012.

While parliament authorized military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, UKSF have deployed to other active conflict zones without the assent of lawmakers. Three days before parliament voted against a deployment to Syria in 2013, UKSF and MI6 operatives were on the ground targeting Syrian air defense installations and calling in American airstrikes, the report stated. Within months, they were training anti-government militants while assassinating Islamic State fighters.

In Yemen, UKSF operatives conducted raids on Al Qaeda-linked militants, but, in some cases, fought alongside jihadists who had been recruited by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to attack Houthi rebels. Up to 40% of these jihadi forces, AOAV noted, were child soldiers.

Training missions and hostage rescue operations made up most of the rest of the deployments, while the UKSF operation in Russia focused on providing security for British athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Recently leaked Pentagon documents suggest that the UK has deployed 50 special forces personnel to Ukraine since Russia launched its military operation last February. Prior to the leak, multiple media outlets reported the presence of British and American special forces in Ukraine, while one general told The Times last year that as many as 300 British commandos were conducting “discrete operations” alongside Kiev’s forces.

“The extensive deployment of Britain’s Special Forces in numerous countries over the past decade raises serious concerns about transparency and democratic oversight,” said AOAV Director Iain Overton. “The lack of parliamentary approval and retrospective reviews for these missions is deeply troubling.”

Source: Russia Today

Brazil said it had formally protested to the Spanish ambassador and would lodge an official complaint with authorities in Madrid over the latest incident of racist abuse directed at Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior.

There has been an outpouring of condemnation in Vinicius’s native Brazil since the Real Madrid star was targeted with racist abuse during the club’s 1-0 loss at Valencia on Sunday.

The Brazilian government said Racial Equality Minister Anielle Franco would present an official complaint to Spanish authorities and La Liga.

A foreign ministry source meanwhile said the government had protested to Spain’s ambassador in Brazil.

“The Spanish ambassador is away from Brasilia, but we have already been in contact with her by telephone to express the Brazilian government’s displeasure over the repeated racist attacks against (Vinicius) and the need for an adequate response,” the source said.

In solidarity, the Christ the Redeemer, whose arms extend over Rio de Janeiro, turned off its lights Monday for one hour (between 2100 and 2200 GMT).

“The monument (…) will have its lighting turned off as a symbol of the joint fight against racism and in solidarity with the player and with all those who suffer from prejudice in the world,” the Archdiocese in charge of the sanctuary said in a statement.

The match in Valencia was halted for several minutes after Vinicius, who has repeatedly been targeted with racial slurs in Spain, was abused again Sunday from the stands.

The referee wrote in his post-match report that shouts of “monkey” had been directed at the player.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva condemned the abuse, which triggered a flood of support for Vinicius, including from fellow Brazil stars Neymar and Richarlison and retired legend Ronaldo.

Brazil “deeply regrets that no effective measures have yet been taken to prevent the recurrence of these racist acts,” the government said in a statement.

It called on Spanish authorities to “punish the perpetrators and stop further cases,” and urged FIFA, the Spanish Football Federation and La Liga to take “the necessary measures.”

Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation of the incident on Monday, and Spain’s sports council said it was analysing video images to “identify the perpetrators of these insults and behaviors to propose the appropriate sanctions.”

Source: Nam News Network (NNN)

A Ukrainian cross-border raid into Russia’s Belgorod Region, which resulted in at least eight civilians being injured, is a matter of great concern, and significant efforts will be required to prevent such incidents from happening again, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

On Monday, a Ukrainian saboteur group intruded into a district called Grayvoron, west of Belgorod city, with Russian military and security forces scrambling to repel the attack. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region’s governor, declared an “anti-terrorism operation” regime in the area, which provides law enforcement agencies with additional powers.

On Tuesday, commenting on the attack, Peskov agreed that “certainly, what happened yesterday is a matter of deep concern,” adding that “this once again confirms that Ukrainian militants continue their activities against our country.”

“This requires a lot of effort on our part. These efforts continue, and so does the special military operation in order to prevent such intrusions in the future,” Peskov stated.

However, Peskov did not provide exact figures for the number of saboteurs taking part in the raid, explaining that Russia’s special services are still looking into the matter.

When asked to comment on reports that the raid was staged by ethnic Russians, Peskov described the perpetrators as “Ukrainian militants.” “There are a lot of ethnic Russians living in Ukraine, but they are still Ukrainian militants,” he elaborated.

He was apparently referring to statements by Ukrainian officials, who insisted that the attack was carried out by the so-called legion ‘Freedom of Russia’ and the ‘Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK)’,which are collaborationists fighting for Kiev. The latter group, which is known for its support of neo-Nazi ideology, earlier claimed responsibility for a similar deadly incursion into Russia’s Bryansk Region two months ago that claimed the lives of two civilians.

On Tuesday, Gladkov said that Russian forces were still conducting a “clean-up” operation in Belgorod Region, adding that Grayvoron district had come under massive artillery shelling and drone bombardment, resulting in 12 civilians being injured.

The same day, Russia’s Investigative Committee said that it had opened a criminal case into the raid, with possible charges including terrorism, attack on law enforcement officers, attempted murder, and destruction of property.

Source: Russia Today

Russia has claimed it has “destroyed” a group of insurgents that had crossed the border from Ukraine to launch attacks in Belgorod. Video released by the Russian Defence Ministry purports to show the insurgents being hit by Russian attacks.

Source: BBC

Three-year-old Madeleine McCann vanished from a Portuguese holiday apartment 16 years ago.

In the intervening years, a huge, costly police operation has taken place across much of Europe.

Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry, say all they have ever wanted is to find their daughter.

Here is the story so far.

On 3 May Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, is on holiday with her family at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz, Portugal.

Her parents go for dinner with a group of friends at a restaurant in the complex. Madeleine and her younger brother and sister – twins – stay in the apartment, 100 yards away

The adults had devised a rota system to check on all their children during the evening

When it is the turn of Kate McCann, she discovers her daughter, Madeleine, has gone

Police are called and staff and guests at the complex search for her until daybreak

Border police and airport staff are put on alert and hundreds of volunteers join efforts to find Madeleine in the following days On 12 May, the McCanns say they “cannot describe the anguish and despair” they are feeling.

Portuguese police say they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal.

On 26 May, police issue a description of a man seen on the night of Madeleine’s disappearance, possibly carrying a child.

In June, a Portuguese police chief admits vital forensic clues may have been destroyed as the scene was not protected properly.

In July, British police send sniffer dogs to assist the investigation, and inspections of the McCann’s apartment and rental car are conducted.

By August it is 100 days since Madeleine disappeared. Investigating officers publicly acknowledge she may not be found alive.

On 6 September, Portuguese police interview Kate McCann as a witness. On 7 September, detectives make the couple “arguidos” and days later, the McCanns return to the UK. Prosecutors later say there is no new evidence to justify re-questioning them.

Gerry McCann releases a video in November saying he believes his family was watched by “a predator” in the days before his daughter’s disappearance.

2008

On 20 January the McCanns release sketches of a suspect, based on a description by a British holidaymaker of a “creepy man” seen at the resort.

In April, Portuguese police fly to the UK to sit in on interviews conducted by Leicestershire Police of the McCanns’ friends they had dinner with on the night Madeleine disappeared.

On 3 May, one year since the disappearance, Mrs McCann urges people to “pray like mad” for her little girl.

By July Portuguese police say they have submitted their final report on the case. Weeks later, authorities shelve their investigation and lift the “arguido” status of the McCanns.

2009 and 2010

On 3 November, new images of how Madeleine might now look are released.

In March 2010, the McCanns criticise the release of previously unseen Portuguese police files – detailing possible sightings of Madeleine – to British newspapers.

A month later, in April, Gerry McCann says it is “incredibly frustrating” that police in Portugal and the UK had not been actively looking for his daughter “for a very long time”.

In November, the couple sign a publishing deal to write a book about Madeleine’s disappearance.

2011

The McCanns’ book, Madeleine, is released in May.

Prime Minister David Cameron asks the Metropolitan Police to help investigate. A two-year review follows.

2012

Det Ch Insp Andy Redwood, the detective leading the UK review of Madeleine’s disappearance, tells an April broadcast of the BBC’s Panorama his team is “seeking to bring closure to the case”.

A computer-generated image of what Madeleine might look like aged nine is released, a day before Portuguese authorities say they are not reopening their investigation.

2013

In May, UK detectives reviewing the case say they have identified “a number of persons of interest”.

By July, Scotland Yard announces it has “new evidence and new witnesses” in the case and opens a formal investigation.

By October, Scotland Yard detectives say they have identified 41 potential suspects.

A BBC Crimewatch appeal features e-fit images of a man seen carrying a blond-haired child of three or four in Praia da Luz at about the time Madeleine went missing.

Portuguese police reopen their investigation – to run alongside Scotland Yard’s – citing “new lines of inquiry”.

2014

In January British detectives fly to Portugal amid claims they are planning to make arrests.

In June searches in Praia da Luz are carried out, including an area of scrubland situated south-west of the Ocean Club complex. It yields nothing of interest.

A month later, in July, four suspects are quizzed by police but no new developments emerge.

Source: BBC

With the door left wide open, Borussia Dortmund clinched a vital away win to regain top spot and leave a first Bundesliga title in 11 years within their own hands.

Though their opponents Augsburg are still threatened by relegation, victory was by no means assured with Edin Terzic’s team having failed to win away from home in all competitions since February.

Despite being in scintillating form in the league in 2023, winning 11 of their 15 matches prior to the penultimate matchday, damaging consecutive away draws in the league against VfB Stuttgart and VfL Bochum in April saw them give way to serial champions Bayern Munich.

But, when it mattered most, following the Bavarians’ 3-1 loss on Saturday, The Black and Yellows soaked up the pressure and came away with the possibly the most important three points of their season.

Borussia Dortmund accept Bayern gift

As the only league in Europe’s top-five still to be decided, the drama ratcheted up another level over a chaotic 24 hours in Bavaria.

Since April, Bayern and Dortmund have traded blows with neither side seemingly willing to take charge of the title race.

The champions’ loss against Mainz was followed by Borussia Dortmund sweeping aside Eintracht Frankurt yet just six days later a draw against Bochum allowed Bayern move back into first position after defeating Hertha Berlin.

Questions were raised if Dortmund had the ability to hold their nerve and handle the pressure of chasing a first league title since 2012 under Jürgen Klopp. When the team was once again given a golden chance to leapfrog their title-chasing rivals, could they finally accept the gift?

“Everyone knew that we had a great chance and that we’d wasted a few chances in the past,” Sebastien Haller admitted to DAZN after the match. “So we tried to stick together, to speak a lot between each other, to be sure that we will stick to our principles, to stay positive, to stay patient.”

“Today is the best example that it worked. We have invested a lot in this and now we have a huge chance to achieve something big.”

‘Miracle’ man Sebastien Haller

In Terzic’s mind, he is in no doubt about who has been the biggest and most influential difference to Dortmund’s season.

Haller became the side’s record signing in the summer with the specific job to fill the hole at number 9 and simply to score goals.

After the Ivorian’s testicular cancer diagnosis, there was uncertainty over what might be possible for the 28-year-old on the pitch this season.

“For me it is the biggest miracle that we see this season to have him back,” Borussia Dortmund head coach Terzic told the post-match press conference.

“It was a tough challenge because nobody had any experience with such a story, fighting cancer and then coming back having gone through chemotherapy.”

“We had to speak every day and even just last week we tried to test Seb’s performance and other things inside his body.”

“When he came back we didn’t know how he was going to react from being exhausted after games.”

Haller’s impact on teammates key

Finding a way to manage Haller’s introduction into the team was not the only challenge coaching team faced alongside their striker.

Adapting their new signing’s mindset to work with the changes within his body, with his speed one key difference noticed by player and backroom staff, was key.

Both of Haller’s goals against Augsburg, a strike cannoning in off the post and a tap-in following in a shot from Marco Reus, came from ideal positioning in a key moment from the forward.

And having worked tirelessly in training to adjust Haller “to think quicker in his head” as his legs were no longer as fast, his impact not just in front of goal but on his teammates pleased Terzic the most.

“He’s the player not only showing his importance by being on the scoresheet but he’s making the others shine.”

“If you see the form of Donyell Malen and Karim Adeyemi, it’s all linked to Seb because he’s the one that gains us seconds.”

“Donny and Karim with their pace they win us meters but he’s the one who gives us seconds and that’s really important for us.”

A fairytale ending within touching distance

“BVB, German champions!” That was the cry from most jubilant Borussia Dortmund fans as they streamed out of the Augsburg Arena.

Still, one supporter took the time to pierce the celebration with a dose of realism, chiming in with: “Wait, next week 0-0, definitely!”

The enormity of the occasion, in Terzic – who once was a part of the Yellow Wall — becoming the first head coach since Klopp to lift the title is not lost. But the head coach is placing his faith in his miracle man.

“Haller’s not done yet,” Terzic said with a smile. “We have 90 minutes to go and hopefully he’s going to be the deserved hero of Borussia Dortmund.”

Source: Deutsche Welle

Never have there been so many female directors in competition: seven of the 21 films were made by women, including newcomers and long-established auteurs. But over the first few days of the 76th film festival on the Cote d’Azur, the focus was on veteran stars such as Harrison Ford, Johnny Depp and Michael Douglas. And fans thronged the red carpet on the first weekend of the festival when Leonardo DiCaprio made his appearance.

Here’s a look at some of the big moments of the festival’s first few days:

DiCaprio was in Cannes for the premiere of his latest film with director Martin Scorsese, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The western true-crime thriller also stars Robert DeNiro and Lily Gladstone, who also appeared in “Certain Women.” Based on a non-fiction book by US journalist David Grann, Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour epic got a standing ovation and has received high praise from critics.

Osage Nation said to have been consulted

Set in the US state of Oklahoma, the film is about the murders there of members of the indigenous Osage in the early 1920s. The story focuses on the Osage woman Mollie Burkhart, played by Gladstone, and her white husband, played by DiCaprio. The Osage gained unexpected wealth at that time when oil was discovered on the land they had been allowed to settle on, a possible motive for the murders. Director Scorsese has been praised for closely involving the Osage Nation in the production of the film.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth part of the legendary film series — which launched in 1981 — premiered out of competition at Cannes. The film’s 80-year-old star, Harrison Ford, also received a surprise honorary Palme d’Or award for lifetime achievement. He says this will be his last jaunt as the adventuring archaeologist with a fedora hat and whip. “Is it not evident?,” the actor joked. “I need to sit down and rest a little bit.”

Unearthing Nazi loot

And in the film, Indiana Jones, too, wants to retire, but is determined to unearth a mysterious artifact and fight the Nazis. Ford’s co-stars include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas and Mads Mikkelsen as the bad guy — and newcomer Ethann Isidore. The 16-year-old has a main role, and he says he got a lot of support from Ford, who advised him to simply forget the camera.

These two actors opened the 76th Film Festival with the French historical drama “Jeanne du Barry,” which takes as its subject the love affair between the titular courtesan and the French king Louis XV. It’s Johnny Depp’s first film release since the media spectacle surrounding his divorce from ex-wife Amber Heard, and the defamation trial that followed Heard’s allegations of domestic violence.

French legends

It’s just not Cannes without Catherine! French acting legend Catherine Deneuve also made an appearance at the festival, giving the official opening speech. She also recited a Ukrainian poem titled “Hope.” Ukraine itself is not represented at Cannes this year. Festival director Thierry Fremaux said that while films are still being produced in the country; none was submitted for consideration this year.

The opening ceremony was moderated by Chiara Mastroianni, daughter of Catherine Deneuve and the late Italian star Marcello Mastroianni.

Another acting legend, Michael Douglas, also received a Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement. While accepting the award, Douglas noted that, at 78, he is two years older than the festival, and called the award “an incredible honor,” saying, “There is only one Cannes.”

The festival directors had proudly announced before the opening that the competition program featured more women directors than ever before. That’s factually correct, with seven of 21 directors being women, but it’s still only one-third of the total this year. The festival is slowly working towards fulfilling a commitment to equal representation. In 2021, only four women directors had films in the competition, and in 2022, there were five.

One of those women directors in this year’s festival is Justine Triet, whose film “Sibyl” ran in the 2019 Cannes competition. This year, she’s at the festival with the well-reviewed “Anatomy of a Fall,” which stars German actress Sandra Hüller, best known for playing the title role in the 2016 international hit film “Toni Erdmann” She also plays the lead in another Cannes competition film, “The Zone of Interest.”

“The Zone of Interest” takes place outside the walls of the Auschwitz extermination camp. Director Jonathan Glazer shot his Holocaust drama on location near the former camp. The film is based on the 2014 novel of the same name by British writer Martin Amis , who died at his home in the US the day of the film’s premiere.

Glazer’s adaptation is heavily favored at this point in the competition to win the main prize. The US entertainment industry magazine “Variety” wrote after the premiere that Glazer had “just delivered the first instant sensation of the 2023 Cannes Film festival.”

Source: Deutsche Welle

The UN is committed to working alongside all Cypriots in order to seek a viable, enduring, and acceptable resolution to the Cyprus issue, the UNSG’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, said on Monday evening addressing a reception he hosted at Ledra Palace, in Nicosia, on “the Road to Sustainability: Women’s Participation in the Cyprus.”

He added that “progress on this goal will neither be achieved nor sustained without the unwavering perseverance and leadership demonstrated by all, including the women in attendance” of the reception.

The event aimed to acknowledge and celebrate women’s contributions as members of the negotiating team, as political and legal advisors, members of the working groups and technical committees, and as trusted colleagues and partners in the Cyprus settlement negotiations and was organized on the occasion of the closing of a photo exhibition on the contribution of women in Cyprus talks which the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, opened on March 15.

The reception was attended, among others, by the Greek Cypriot negotiator, Menelaos Menelaou, and the Special Representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ergun Olgun, foreign Ambassadors to Cyprus, members of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Gender Equality and members of the civil society.

In his remarks, Stewart noted that the important contribution of women to the Cyprus talks in the past has often gone unnoticed. “We tend to emphasize that women’s meaningful participation needs to be improved – and this remains true. But we must also recognize that the number and role of women in past Cyprus talks was nonetheless important, more than in any other UN-facilitated process. And this has set a precedent here in Cyprus which is the basis upon which the leaders have committed to continue to ensure women’s participation through their Action Plan,” he noted.

Furthermore, he said that two decades ago, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1325, recognizing for the first time the integral role of women’s leadership in achieving sustainable peace and security, adding that UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has made the Women, Peace, and Security agenda a “top priority” of the UN system, placing women and girls at the forefront of the peace and security nexus, emphasizing their central role in shaping and advancing peace globally.

“For the United Nations, women’s participation in peacemaking efforts is not merely a matter of inclusion, equality, and fairness; it is also smart peacemaking,” Stewart stressed.

It is therefore important for us, he added, to not only acknowledge these contributions and their potential to bring about real change, but also to highlight them, in Cyprus and beyond, to inspire future generations of women to seek an integral role in shaping their future.

To this end, he recalled, the two leaders reached agreement on an “Action Plan to ensure women’s complete, equal, and meaningful participation in the settlement process – or an eventual settlement process – in Cyprus” and the Security Council welcomed this important step.

According to Stewart, building on the accomplishments of the past, the Action Plan expanded and addressed inclusion more broadly, providing practical recommendations as to how to ensure women’s participation – at the negotiating table, in the working groups and in the technical committees; on how to engage all of civil society and, importantly, on how to ensure that a gender perspective is included in the settlement process/an eventual settlement process.

“The development of this plan was carried out by the members of the Technical Committee on Gender Equality – many of whom are with us tonight – facilitated by the Good Offices Mission and UNFICYP, thereby highlighting the commitment demonstrated by both sides in addressing this matter,” the UN diplomat noted, stressing that “what lies ahead is the crucial task of implementing the plan, a responsibility which falls on us all.

Moreover, he underlined that “the United Nations looks forward to supporting the two sides in this effort. The Technical Committee started last week, bringing together members of civil society to explore women’s participation in peacemaking. The event, ‘A seat at the table: women’s experiences in the Cyprus Talks, was the first of a series of planned conversations with civil society to progressively highlight women’s role in all facets of society – to inform, as much as to inspire and encourage,” he noted.

Speaking on behalf of the Greek Cypriot Co-President of the Technical Committee on Gender Equality, Soula Zavou, the member of the Committee, Soula Hadjikyriakou, said that last week the Technical Committee hosted its first of a series of future conversations with all members of civil society on different dimensions women’s participation in the peace and security nexus.

“Our intent was to hear their views – and – for us to start a two-way dialogue as a basis for a future settlement. This was one of the key recommendations of the Action Plan that this Committee developed, and the two leaders agreed to last year,” she added.

As she noted they have formulated a set of recommendations which aims at ensuring women’s participation – at the negotiating table, in the working groups and in the technical committees; which seeks to engage all of civil society and ensure that a gender perspective is included in the settlement process/an eventual settlement process.

“Moving forward, we will work closely with the two leaders to ensure that any future negotiation process, as they have agreed, has women and men working together – at the table in shaping a joint future, while at the same time holding their ear to the streets; the Tavernas and the Meyhanes, on both sides of the island,” Hadjikyriakou said.

She went on to say that the way forward can only be on the basis of bringing people with us and that this is what the leaders committed to.

“As a Committee, we are therefore planning a series of meetings with all of civil society, women and youth organizations to hear their views, to learn of their concerns and priorities,” Hadjikyriakou noted, adding that “women’s participation and broader inclusion in the Cyprus Talks have a way to go, yet, what has been accomplished is without a doubt unique in the global context and something that needs to be acknowledged and built upon.”

Speaking on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot side, Sulen Karabacak, referred to her own participation for many years now in the negotiations on the Cyprus problem. She noted, among others, that during the negotiating process in Crans Montana she was one of the three women in the main negotiating team, stressing that “in addition to our educational backgrounds and expertise on subject matters that were under discussion we have contributed with the skills that we have acquired stemming from the social roles and responsibilities that we have as women.”

She also expressed the belief that active and meaningful participation and leadership of women in delegations can only have positive contributions towards the efforts to find a mutually agreed and sustainable comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, and welcomed the Action Plan developed by the Technical Committee on Gender Equality, that was endorsed by the two leaders last year, with a view to ensuring women’s participation in the negotiations.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency