Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Russia’s willingness to assist the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, “to create conditions for the resumption of negotiations between the communities on the island” during a meeting between the two in Moscow on Thursday, according to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s press service.
“Russia’s consistent position was reaffirmed, according to which a settlement pattern should be fair and sustainable, rest on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and be determined by the Cypriot parties themselves with due account of their fair interests”, the statement issued after the talks at the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Russian Foreign Minister positively assessed the activities of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the UN Secretary-General’s goodwill mission on maintaining stability on the island, which, he said is “indispensable for a dialogue between the communities.”
Lavrov pointed out that Russia is ready to continue working to enhance the efficiency of the UN in this area, in particular, by taking part in the UNFICYP.
In an earlier statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the UN Secretary General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus and the experts accompanying her had “extensive consultations” with Russian Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergey Vershinin and Alexander Grushko, during which “various aspects of the settlement on the island were examined in detail, with emphasis on the role of the international organisation in the search for a solution to this long-standing problem”.
“From the Russian side, support was expressed for the work of Holguin in assisting intercommunal contacts. The position of our country’s authorities in favour of a comprehensive, viable and just solution of the issue within the framework of the international legal framework, as defined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, without external pressure, with a key role of the Greek Cypriots
and Turkish Cypriots themselves and taking into account their interests and concerns was stressed”, according to the second statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Russian senior diplomats and Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar stressed the importance of “the effective activity of the UN peacekeeping forces in Cyprus and the good offices mission of the UN Secretary General”, aimed at preventing escalation and creating the necessary conditions for dialogue between the communities”, the Russian statement said, concluding with a reaffirmation of “Russia’s firm commitment as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to continue to make a significant contribution to the relevant UN efforts”.
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. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Mar
ía Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency