The implementation of a confidence building measure (CBM) on eighteen suspected hazardous areas, that may be contaminated with mines, identified on both sides of the divide in Cyprus is under way, since May this year, and is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2020.
 
All identified areas are situated along the ceasefire line and close to the edges of the buffer zone. Nine of them are in the government-controlled areas of the Republic and nine of them in the areas occupied by the Turkish troops since 1974.
 
A well-informed source has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that nothing “suspicious” has been identified so far in the 4-5 areas for which surveys have been conducted so far in the government – controlled areas.  Both technical and non-technical surveys are taking place at the suspected hazardous areas, with the support of the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). This CBM was agreed, inter alia, between Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, during an informal meeting they had last February.
 
The UN Secretary General said in a report on UNFICYP, an advance copy of which was handed over earlier this week to the members of the Security Council, that the two leaders “agreed to cancel 18 suspected hazardous areas, nine on each side, through coordinated, reciprocal surveys.  Cancellation began in May 2019 with support from UNFICYP and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS). Further to a subsequent request by the Greek Cypriot side to conduct a combination of technical and non-technical surveys on the suspected hazardous areas, the work is now expected to be completed in early 2020,” he added.

Meanwhile, invited to comment the UNSG`s reference in his report, that “as regards the establishment of a potential military mechanism between the opposing forces, both sides expressed interest and acknowledged the possible value-added of such a mechanism”, and that “the positions of the two sides, however, varied with respect to the possible detailed structure, composition and modus operandi of the mechanism” the same source said that the Greek Cypriot side would not accept representatives of the Turkish Cypriot “security forces” to participate in such a mechanism, but representatives of the Turkish occupation army.

It noted that the establishment of such a mechanism would aim at addressing military incidences along the cease-fire line, on an ad hoc basis, and stressed that it could operate only with the participation of the military leadership of UNFICYP, as the aim is not to diminish and undermine the role of the UN peace-keeping force.
 
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The last round of negotiations, in the summer of 2017, at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
 
Comprising military and civilian personnel from various contributing countries, UNFICYP arrived in Cyprus in March 1964 after intercommunal fighting broke out. The mandate of the force is renewed every six months by the UN Security Council.The House of Representatives plenary unanimously passed legislation, on Friday, aiming to resolve a problem faced by many property owners, who having bought and paid for their property have not been able to acquire a title deed in their name.

House of Representatives President Demetris Syllouris said that the matter also concerns him as he owns an apartment the payment for which has been fully settled but is not able to acquire a title deed, adding that therefore he has “personal knowledge of other parties.”

He also informed the plenary that during two different visits to London, British MPs raised the matter with him, adding that the House of Lords had also established a committee about this social and economic problem.

An initiative by AKEL MP Aristos Damianou, the legislative proposal was tabled at plenary bearing the signatures of MPs from nearly all parliamentary parties.

The final text was drafted by the parliamentary committee on legal affairs, with the help of the Land Registry. MPs discussed the draft legislation over 18 months in 16 different meetings of the parliamentary committee, its president Giorgos Georgiou said.

Damianou said that the problem concerned approximately 30,000 people and that through implementing legislation already in place a solution had been found so far for 6,500 families.

After the legislation was found anti-constitutional at first instance, the parliament acted in order to protect the rights of bona fide property buyers.

According to DIKO Deputy President Christiana Erotokritou the new legislation will concern buyers who have either paid in full or the greatest part of the property’s purchase price, have submitted their contract to the Land Registry and whose inability to acquire a title deed is not due to their own omission.

At the same time, the legislation seeks to also protect the rights of the borrower providing that the Land Registry should notify them and invite them to take part in the process.