NICOSIA, November 14. /TASS/. Special representative of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus Khassim Diagne told Russia’s ambassador to the country Murat Zyazikov that Moscow plays the key role in the UN Security Council and in the island’s settlement process.

"Let me mention the key position that Russia holds as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. You are the first of the ambassadors of the states with this status with whom I am meeting, and we will have the opportunity to consult with each other and have close contacts to preserve the mandate that the Security Council has given to our mission here in Cyprus," said Diagne.

Zyazikov congratulated Diagne on his appointment to the responsible post, which automatically makes him the head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and wished him success in fulfilling the tasks of promoting peace and maintaining stability in Cyprus. Diagne thanked the Russian ambassador for Moscow’s contribution to the activities of the world organization's peacekeeping contingent stationed on the island. He also noted the professionalism of the Russian officers serving in the UNFICYP police and military units, with whom he has recently met.

Diagne also noted that Zyazikov has a long-standing relationship with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who has repeatedly sent letters of thanks to the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Cyprus. During a warm and constructive conversation, the envoys exchanged views on the Cyprus settlement, noting the key role of the United Nations in helping to find a comprehensive, just and viable solution to the island's problem, as well as in maintaining international peace and security. Zyazikov and Diagne expressed their mutual willingness to continue and further strengthen cooperation between the Russian diplomatic mission and the UN mission in Cyprus.

The head of the peacekeepers on the meeting

"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the ambassador, Doctor of Science Murat Zyazikov and his team for the warm welcome and hospitality at the meeting that we have just held," the head of UNFICYP told TASS in an interview. "I thank him for his advice, for the recommendations he gave, for the information he shared, and I think that the ambassador and his team and I have a common goal: we are here to ensure peace, to ensure stability in and around the buffer zone [of the island]."

When asked to outline his vision for Cyprus settlement after a recent election of Tufan Erhurman, the leader of the Turkish Cypriots, who advocates for a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the provisions set out in the UN Security Council resolutions, Diagne said: "Like all observers, we are currently monitoring further steps, and I can only repeat that the UN Secretary General, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General [of the United Nations for the Cyprus settlement, Maria Angela Holguin], as well as we, that is, UNFICYP, are fully committed to facilitating any possible negotiations and any formats to move forward, ensure the interests and security of both the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities."

Russian ambassador on the UN role

"Russia continues to advocate for strengthening the role of the United Nations, whose charter has served as the foundation of international law for eight decades," Zyazikov told TASS in an interview. "All the activities of the world organization are aimed at ensuring the necessary balance of forces and interests of large and small states, or, as in the case of Cyprus, the interests of the island's two main communities, the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot."

He said that the United Nations remains the central platform for international dialogue, which, unlike confrontation and block thinking, is the only true guarantor of sustainable development and security.

"Our country consistently promotes the idea of a multipolar world and the formation of a fair system of international relations based on equality, as well as respect for cultural and civilizational diversity. We recognize that resolving the Cyprus problem is key to maintaining stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean. We also note the tireless efforts of the world organization to achieve progress in the Cyprus settlement, as evidenced by the great attention paid to this issue by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the active work of his emissary Maria Angela Holguin."

According to Zyazikov, Russia traditionally proceeds from the need to achieve a comprehensive, viable and just solution to the Cyprus problem within the agreed international legal framework, which is enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions, with mandatory mutual consideration of the just interests and concerns of both communities of the island.

"As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia strives to help create the most favorable conditions for the stable and fruitful development of Cyprus for the benefit of those peoples who live on the island," Zyazikov said.