The presence of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) comprises an important part of the effort to restore peace, stability and international legitimacy in Cyprus, President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, said in a written message.
Asked by CNA to comment on the significance of Resolution 186 (1964) on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of UNFICYP, President Christodoulides noted that on 4 March 1964, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 186, thus establishing, with the consent and agreement of the Government of Cyprus, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, with the aim, inter alia, of preserving international peace and security.
“60 years later, on this important milestone, I pay tribute to the 187 peacekeepers who lost their lives in the line of duty,” President Christodoulides noted, also expressing the Republic of Cyprus’ gratitude to the approximately 150 thousand peacekeepers who served in Cyprus over the years,
to the United Nations Member States that have contributed and continue to contribute personnel, as well as to the countries that have supported and continue to support UNFICYP through financial contributions, especially Greece, which contributes voluntarily.
In his message, President Christodoulides stresses the importance of the presence and work of the Peace Force in Cyprus “which unfortunately the occupying forces, as we have seen recently, are trying to question.”
At the same time, he added that “this Resolution is very important, not only because it established the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, but also because it makes it clear that for its deployment, the consent of the sovereign and internationally recognised state of the Republic of Cyprus – which Turkey’s actions on the island were intended to put into question – was required under international law”.
He stressed that, in this context, of particular importance is the fact that the sovereign the Republic of Cyprus, as stated in the
Resolution, has the responsibility to maintain and restore law and order.
President Christodoulides also said that from 1964 onwards, and especially after the illegal Turkish invasion of 1974, “the Peacekeeping Force has been a very important part of the effort to restore peace, stability and international legitimacy on our island”, noting that “as stated in its mandate, its aim is to restore law and order and return to normal conditions”.
At the same time, he stressed that the role of the Peace Force is equally important in addressing the many humanitarian and other issues that have arisen as a result of the Turkish invasion.
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 María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for C
yprus, 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