Nicosia: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the statement made Friday by the Federal Republic of Somalia, which reaffirms the country's longstanding position on the Cyprus issue, guided by the UN Charter and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, the Ministry's spokesperson Theodoros Gotsis told the Cyprus News Agency.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Somali Government's statement followed a social media post earlier this week by the country's newly elected Speaker of Parliament, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, in which he refers to the 'turkish republic of northern Cyprus', thanking its 'speaker of parliament' for his congratulations on his election to office.
'Somalia reiterates its full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions on Cyprus, as well as its consistent support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue within the UN framework,' Gotsis said, referring to the statement issued by Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter.
For the Republic of Cyprus, he added, 'adherence to international law, the United Nations Charter, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states constitute a steadfast principle of our foreign policy.' 'This is a principle we apply consistently and one that we expect to be upheld with the same consistency in respect of our own country', he said.
Gotsis noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 'continues, with determination and methodical effort, its diplomatic initiatives to safeguard the interests, international standing and sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus.'
In its announcement, Somalia's Foreign Ministry notes that 'the referenced personal communication post does not reflect and shall not be interpreted as any change in the foreign policy of the Federal Republic of Somalia'. It also said that it does not constitute any recognition of any separate entity in the northern part of Cyprus and that no decision has been taken to alter its established position.
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. An illegal breakaway entity declared independence unilaterally, on November 15, 1983, in the areas under Turkish occupation, an action condemned by the UN Security Council and the international community as legally null and void.
The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. Mara Angela Holgun, Guterres' Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.