Italian MP, Piero Fassino, the rapporteur of the subject “Call for return of Ammochostos to its lawful residents” in the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), is paying Cyprus a working visit during 5-8 June.
Fassino will be accompanied by the Secretary of the Committee, an announcement by the House of Representatives says.
During his visit to Cyprus, he will be received by House President, Annita Demetriou, and he is expected to meet with the heads or representatives of parliamentary parties, the President of the House Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Harris Georgiades, the head and members of the Cypriot delegation to PACE, Nicos Tornaritis, Giorgos Loukaides and Christiana Erotocritou, as well as with Attorney General, Giorgos Savvides, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Kasoulides, and the Mayor and the Municipal Council of Ammochostos, in Deryneia.
Eventually, he will also attend meetings with the Special Representative of the UN in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, and the head of the European Commission in Cyprus, Myrto Zambartas, while a dinner with ambassadors of EU member-states is also in his schedule.
A PACE press release said that Fassino will also travel to the “northern part of the island” to meet in the Turkish-occupied areas with representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community and visit Varosha (part of Famagusta).
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.
UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.
Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action. In his latest report to the Security Council, UN Secretary-General Guterres underlines the importance of adhering fully to UN resolutions, underscoring that the position of the United Nations on this matter “remains unchanged.”
On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.
Source: Cyprus News Agency