ATHENS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2021) Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides called on the United Kingdom on Thursday to facilitate the settlement of dispute between Cyprus' Greek and Turkish communities based on resolutions of the UN Security Council on a two-zone federation.
Christodoulides made the statement at a press conference following talks with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Nicosia.
"[Raab's] visit is very important as it takes place alongside efforts of the UN Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] aimed at resuming talks for a comprehensive resolution of the Cypriot issue based on a federation made of two zones and two communities. Needless to say, the United Kingdom, as a participant of the Treaty of establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, has a vitally important role to play," Christodoulides said.
The Cypriot foreign minister conveyed Nicosia's readiness to relaunch the talks as soon as possible from where they discontinued in Switzerland's Crans-Montana in 2017. He also expressed hope that all other parties concerned share the same commitment.
"It must be clear that the comprehensive solution must correspond to the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN Charter, as well as values and principles of the European Union. The united Cyprus must be a functioning state and a sustainable EU member state, a resilient and reliable regional actor," Christodoulides said.
Turkish Cypriot President Ersin Tatar, a hard-line Turkey loyalist, has insisted on making Cyprus a confederation consisting of two separate states.
Last fall, Guterres said that he would convene five-party informal talks between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as well as Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The meeting is expected to take place in early March.
Cyprus has been split between Greek and Turkish communities since 1974 after Turkey invaded the island in response to an uprising of Greek Cypriots that resulted in a change of government. In 1983, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus declared its independence without being recognized by any country except for Turkey.
