The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cyprus and Head of UNFICYP, Colin Stewart, on Thursday expressed concerns about the increasing militarization of the no-fly zone and said that the report on UNFICYP’s peacekeeping force in Cyprus reflects these concerns.
Responding to a journalist’s question after his meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace, Colin Stewart said he would also brief the Security Council on any new developments after December 12, when the report ends on January 17 at the New York. When asked about developments in Pyla, Mr Stewart expressed his concerns “about issues that threaten the integrity of the buffer zone and some issues that upset the military status quo”.
He also said that he discussed all these issues with both President Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar.
“The main concern we have is this increase in militarization along the dead zone, because our main purpose is to maintain stability, to create favorable conditions for the Cyprus issue to be resolved,” he said. He added that once the new UN Secretary General’s envoy is appointed, they want her to have good conditions to move forward.
When asked about his meeting with Mr. Tatar, Mr. Stewart said that they primarily discussed the buffer zone and related issues and did not discuss Cyprus per se. “I have not seen any significant changes in the positions of the parties,” he added.
Asked about the delay in appointing the UN Secretary-General’s envoy for Cyprus, Mr Stewart said “I don’t know if these things take time, but I’m sure it will happen very soon”.
He also stated that he is immediately awaiting the announcement of the Secretary General’s envoy and that he is looking forward to meeting her in New York when she is there.
At the same time, he referred to the expectations for 2024 and expressed the hope that there will be positive developments in the Cyprus issue.
“We hope for a positive 2024, as you know, 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the UN presence in Cyprus. It’s a very sad anniversary. We believe that the Cyprus issue should have been resolved a long time ago”, he noted.
He added that this 60th anniversary, which is marked on March 4, should be a reminder of how important the resolution of the Cyprus issue is.
Mr Stewart met President Christodoulides on Thursday morning and Ersin Tatar yesterday, Wednesday and informed them of his trip to New York next week. He noted that in New York he will brief UNFICYP’s police and troop contributing countries on January 10 and the Security Council on the 17th.
Source: KYPE