Ανακοινωθέντα

Το Συμβούλιο Ασφαλείας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών υπό την προεδρία του Μονίμου Αντιπροσώπου τoυ Περού, Πρέσβη Gustavo Meza, είχε σήμερα (19.7.19) το απόγευμα, κλειστές διαβουλεύσεις για την Ειρηνευτική Δύναμη των Ηνωμένων Εθνών στην Κύπρο, UNFICYP. Κατά τη διάρκεια των διαβουλεύσεων, τα μέλη του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας ενημερώθηκαν από την Ειδική Αντιπρόσωπο του Γενικού-Γραμματέα του ΟΗΕ στην Κύπρο και επικεφαλής της UNFICYP, κα Elizabeth Spehar, ενόψει της ψηφοφορίας για την υιοθέτηση του ψηφίσματος για ανανέωση της θητείας της Δύναμης, της οποίας η εντολή λήγει στις 31 Ιουλίου. Η ανοικτή συνεδρίαση του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας για την ανανέωση της θητείας της UNFICYP έχει προγραμματιστεί για τις 30 Ιουλίου.

Αμέσως μετά την ενημέρωση, η κα Spehar, προέβη στις πιο κάτω δηλώσεις προς τους δημοσιογράφους και απάντησε σε ερωτήσεις τους.

Spehar: Good afternoon everyone. We’ve just concluded a good meeting of the Security Council on the situation in Cyprus and I can confirm to you that the Council remains interested and engaged on the Cyprus issue. I provided the Council members with an update on recent developments and on the activities of the two peace missions on the ground, that is UNFICYP as well as the Secretary-General’s Good Offices.

I’ve shared some positive news, for example I talked about the conclusion for the advancement of a number of the confidence building measures that the leaders have been working on in the past number of months and even years, including the achievement of the full interconnectivity of the electricity grids, the recent achievement of the interoperability of mobile phones across the island, and as we know has enabled people to use their mobiles across the island for the first time.

I also highlighted to the Security Council, that not only do such developments, these confidence building measures, have a practical and a positive impact on the daily lives of Cypriots but they are also emblematic of what is still possible when the leaders demonstrate the requisite political will. But in spite of such developments the Council also shared my overall concern regarding the lack of settlement talks. I did underscore to them that we are now passed the two year mark since the closing of the Conference on Cyprus and that is definitely a matter of concern and also they shared my concern about tensions in the region including off the shores of Cyprus. And I want to remind everyone that the Secretary-General has called once again for serious efforts to avoid any further escalation and to defuse tensions.

I also showed, I think in very concrete ways, how the role of UNFICYP remains critical on the island in maintaining common stability particularly in and around the buffer zone.

And so, to summarize to you, well no one assumes that resuming negotiations will be an easy task. There is a great desire on the part of the Council to see the leaders and the parties in general get back to the negotiation table as soon as possible and I personally firmly believe that returning to the talks still offers the best chance for a lasting peace in Cyprus.

The Secretary-General for his part, has made clear in the report that he has just released that he wants both sides to engage in the ongoing consultations constructively, creatively, and with the necessary urgency.

And in concluding my remarks to the Council, I thanked the Security Council for its support, both to UNFICYP and to the Secretary-General’s Good Offices in Cyprus, as well as their support for the ongoing consultations that have been led by Ms. Jane Holl Lute.

And now, I’ll be happy to take a few questions.

Question: Both leaders have written to the Secretary-General the past month and from their latest statements, it seems like they are ready to resume the Crans Montana talks, on official or unofficial in the beginning basis. Now, Ms. Lute is supposed to go to Cyprus at the end of the month. How will these things work? Is Ms. Lute going? Are the leaders meeting before that? Are the leaders meeting afterwards?

Spehar: On that I think is still early days, but we do know that the two leaders have decided that they would like to meet and I’m hoping that will happen very soon, and I’m sure that Ms. Lute would also look at returning to the island in the very near future but nothing has been said yet to my knowledge.

Question: So given that there is been no progress in Jane Holl Lute’s work on negotiations or consultations will there be a new tactic or their new deadlines at the Security Council is planning to impose to get the talks moving faster if at all?

Spehar: Well, I wouldn’t say that the efforts have failed, the efforts continue. So the Secretary-General’s last report was quite clear that he wanted Ms. Lute to continue her consultations and both sides have continued to engage with her.

Question: Is there anything new that the Council is willing to impose?

Spehar: Well, the Security Council has been listening to me right now and asking a few comments and questions. But now they will have to decide actually on their resolution and what they are going to put on the resolution. So I think we have to wait to see what comes out formally from the Security Council.

Question: What was the most important question that they asked you?

Spehar: The most important question, first of all before questions they were very-very supportive as I’ve said both on Ms. Lute’s efforts as well as the efforts of the two missions on the ground. And in terms of questions, they did want to know, as you do, when things will get moving and that I think by and large is in the hands of the parties.

Thank you. 

Σημειώνουμε επίσης, ότι πριν την έναρξη των διαβουλεύσεων ο Αναπληρωτής Μόνιμος Αντιπρόσωπος του Ηνωμένου Βασίλειου, Πρέσβης Jonathan Allen, μιλώντας σε δημοσιογράφους ανέφερε ότι η χώρα του εξακολουθεί να πιστεύει ότι είναι ζωτικής σημασίας να υπάρξει διευθέτηση του Κυπριακού προβλήματος στη βάση μιας διζωνικής, δικοινοτικής ομοσπονδίας. Σημείωσε ότι είναι ευτυχείς που βλέπουν ότι οι δύο ηγέτες προφανώς θα συναντηθούν αργότερα αυτό τον μήνα και ευελπιστούν ότι αυτό θα οδηγήσει στην επανάληψη των συνομιλιών και επομένως σε μια διευθέτηση.

Η δήλωση ακολουθεί:

Amb. Jonathan Allen: Well, good afternoon, everybody. So we're going to be discussing Cyprus in consultations today. The United Kingdom continues to believe that it is vital that there is a settlement to the Cyprus problem with a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We are pleased to see that the two leaders are apparently meeting later this month and we hope that will lead to a resumption of settlement talks and therefore to a settlement. 

------------------------------

ΕΙ