Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides has said that it is important that the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) continues to be effective with the same mandate from the UN Security Council.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Minister said that the presence of all UN peace missions is being evaluated by the UN, but said that Nicosia is not concerned by this, noting it is important that UNFICYP remains effective in Cyprus and maintains the same mandate.

Replying to questions, he said that UNFICYP comprises of 887 military members and stressed that this number is at its limits and must not be reduced.

He added that what is being discussed is the reduction of non- military services and cost. He pointed out that there are ways to cut  costs like, for instance, modernizing vehicles and monitoring with drones instead of helicopters.

Replying to questions, the Minister referred to Turkish statements that the UNFICYP’s presence should be reduced to observers and that UNFICYP is not necessary for services such as the assistance to the enclaved.

It is noted that the Turkish Cypriot regime has imposed ‘taxes’ on the humanitarian aid sent,  via the UN, to the enclaved. The Government of Cyprus  has protested this decision describing it as  unacceptable.

The Foreign Minister said that UNFICYP’s press releases as well as the statements made by Head of UNFICYP in Cyprus Elizabeth Spehar  which express sorrow  for this decision, are circulated via Cyprus’ diplomatic missions abroad. In addition, he said that Cyprus’ Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe has raised the issue. Kasoulides said that it is deplorable that the Turkish Permanent Representative’s reply was in line with the Turkish Cypriot arguments.

Concluding, he reassured that the government has taken care of the issue and offers practical assistance to the enclaved.

At the end of the second phase of the Turkish invasion late in August 1974, about 20,000 Greek and Maronite Cypriots inhabiting in villages and townships primarily in the Karpas Peninsula of northeast Cyprus and in villages west of the city of Kyrenia remained behind the ceasefire line. Today, only a total of 437 (April 2013) persons remain behind the “green line,” of whom 328 are Greek Cypriot and 109 Maronite Cypriots. These persons are known as the “enclaved”.

Despite the Third Vienna Agreement, Turkey and its Turkish Cypriot surrogates have violated all its terms. Since 1974, the enclaved have endured conditions of hardship and oppression because of their ethnicity, language and religion.

Leave a Reply