NICOSIA, January 30 (Itar-Tass) — The government of the Republic of Cyprus expressed gratitude to Russia for a principal position of the country on the Cyprus peace process over the New York meeting between UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the leaders of split Cypriot communities on January 23-24 within the negotiations for the settlement of the Cypriot territorial dispute.
Spokesman for the Cypriot government Stefanos Stefanou said in a written statement on Sunday that Russia’s clear-cut position on the ways to solve the Cypriot territorial problem confirms a time-tested principal position of the country over the Cypriot settlement. Russia’s position is very important, because it is the position of a permanent member of the UN Security Council that notes the need for all countries in the world to respect and fulfil the UN resolutions, he said in the statement. The statement noted that Russia’s position is also shared by other permanent members of the UN Security Council, namely China and France, and some non-permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Stefanou noted that a just and viable solution to the Cypriot territorial dispute can be attained only if the UN Security Council resolutions are put in practice. The settlement, which is based on the establishment of a common state in a politically equitable, two-zone and two-community federation with the common sovereignty, citizenship and international personality, will put an end to the Turkish occupation of Cyprus and the policy of illegal transportation of Turkish migrants on the island, Stefanou noted. He stressed Russia’s position that if the current round of negotiations on the Cyprus peace process does not result in a negotiated solution, the goodwill mission of the UN general secretary in Cyprus should be continued.
Spokesman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich has made a statement on January 26 that the meeting, which Ban Ki-moon initiated, with the leaders of the Greek-Cypriot community, President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu in order to intensify inter-community negotiations “showed once again the willpower of the parties to the conflict to attain comprehensive settlement of the Cypriot problem with the universally recognized international legal basis, including relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council.”
“Despite no evident rapprochement of the positions on the scope of issues, the possibilities of the negotiations are far from being exhausted,” Lukashevich noted. “A considerable potential of the goodwill mission of the UN general secretary was not fully realized. The mission should certainly continue regardless the degree and acuteness of disagreements and those breakthroughs on the Cypriot direction that are taking shape,” he pointed out.