Nicosia: The UN Security Council vote on the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) takes place on Friday, January 30, according to the latest update from the UN Secretariat. The procedure was scheduled initially to take place on Thursday, January 29 at 1500 New York time.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides said on Thursday that Pakistan has submitted comments at the UN Security Council that are not positive for our side, "breaking the silence procedure" on the resolution for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Speaking yesterday in Nicosia, and asked to comment on reports about a lack of consensus at the UN Security Council that led to the postponement of the vote until Friday instead of Thursday as originally scheduled, he said that 'what I was informed of this morning is that Pakistan has broken the silence procedure under which the resolution had been placed. It has submitted certain comments. This is a process that has taken place in the past as well, and consultations will continue,' he said.
Asked about the nature of the comments, he said replied that 'as you understand, in view of the country that I have mentioned, the comments are not positive for us.' It is noted that Pakistan is currently one of the 10 nonpermanent members of the UN Security Council.
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.