Nicosia: We look forward to the implementation of the agreements reached and to a new meeting in extended format under the auspices of the UN Secretary General aiming to resume talks from where they were left off at Crans-Montana the soonest, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in a press release, regarding the UN Secretary-General's Reports on his Mission of Good Offices and the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). It also expresses 'disappointment with the longstanding tendency of the UN to maintain an equidistant approach, resulting to the inaccurate and selective depiction of the realities on the ground (.)'.
According to Cyprus News Agency, with regard to the UN Secretary-General's Good Offices and Peacekeeping Force Reports to the UN Security Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus 'welcomes' the Secretary-General's reaffirmation of his commitment to continue his efforts to resume the negotiation process, with the goal of achieving a viable and comprehensive solution based on the agreed framework and the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
'We share the Secretary-General's contentment and importance given to the fact that substantial discussions over core aspects of the Cyprus issue have taken place for the first time in five years', it said. 'True progress can only be achieved through such discussions for all core aspects of the Cyprus issue. We look forward to the implementation of the agreements reached and to a new meeting in extended format under the auspices of the UN Secretary General aiming to resume talks from where they were left off at Crans-Montana the soonest,' it adds.
The Government, it notes, 'fully shares' the concern expressed again by the Secretary-General regarding the developments in the fenced area of Varosha, for which it is repeated that Trkiye is solely responsible and Ankara's full compliance with Security Council Resolutions 550 (1984), 789 (1992) and 2771 (2025) is required.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes its concern regarding the fact that the recording, in the Report on UNFICYP, of violations by the occupying army, within and near the buffer zone and in its vicinity, especially in Deneia area, continues. 'At the same time, however, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its disappointment with the longstanding tendency of the UN to maintain an equidistant approach, resulting to the inaccurate and selective depiction of the realities on the ground as these are caused by the Turkish occupation and the methodology followed by the occupying forces, undermining the effort for the creation of a climate of trust', it said.
The Ministry said it 'respects and considers of great importance the role that UNFICYP ought to have according to its mandate, to ensure normal living conditions, the respect and unhindered exercise of property rights and the development of civilian activities in the buffer zone'. 'We look forward to the continuation of the close cooperation and coordination with UNFICYP to that effect, thus contributing in practice to the effort for trust-building among citizens,' it adds.
Regarding the humanitarian mandate of the Peacekeeping Force, the Ministry recalls 'the need for the Report to clearly record and highlight Trkiye's responsibilities both in relation to the living conditions of the enclaved as well as on the issue of the missing persons.'
The Ministry reaffirms its commitment to continued cooperation and close coordination with UNFICYP for the effective implementation of its mandate and for the ultimate goal of a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, based on the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions.
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 due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. An informal meeting in broader format is expected this year.
Mara Angela Holgun, the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holgun.