The newly elected UK Government has reaffirmed the British commitment to a settlement of the Cyprus issue based on the UN parameters of the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. On Saturday's tragic anniversary of 50 years since Turkey invaded Cyprus and began its ongoing illegal occupation of the northern part of the island, the new Foreign Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty wrote on X (former Twitter) that 'for too long now, the people of Cyprus have been divided." "On the 50th anniversary of the events of 1974, the UK restates its commitment to a lasting, comprehensive and just settlement which benefits all Cypriots, within the UN parameters of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality," he said. 'We urge all sides to show openness, flexibility and compromise, and to engage with UN-led efforts to reach a settlement,' he concluded. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace tal ks 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 María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia 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