Nicosia vigilant against efforts to upgrade puppet regime, says FM permanent secretary

Nicosia is constantly following developments as regards efforts for the upgrading of the Turkish Cypriot puppet regime in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, remains vigilant on the matter and will act as needed, Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary, Kornelios Korneliou has told the Cyprus News Agency, asked about the Ministry’s actions with a view to prevent any negative developments in view of efforts to upgrade the pseudostate.

Korneliou said that “Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, had meetings during his recent visit to Poland with foreign ministers of countries of Central Asia and now we are preparing a mission to Gambia by the foreign minister’s special representative, Director for the Middle East and Africa at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thessalia Salina Shambos.”

The FM permanent secretary noted that Kasoulides has already sent a letter to his Gambian counterpart on this issue and they are waiting for the response.

“This is an issue we are constantly following. We need to be vigilant and we will act as needed,” he underlined.

Opening of new embassies

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Korneliou said that Nicosia has decided to open in 2023 new embassies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Manama, Bahrein, which is the only Gulf country where it has no embassy. Moreover, he noted that they have decided to reopen the embassies of Cyprus to Nairobi, Kenya, and Jakarta, Indonesia next year.

Replying to CNA questions, Korneliou noted that “in parallel, as the diplomatic services will be reinforced with new personnel, we have the intention in the near future to re-open our embassy in Mexico, because now we have no representation in Central America, open an Embassy in Ethiopia, which is the seat of the African Union, and when conditions allow it, to open an Embassy in Central Asia to cover this geographical region as well.”

According to the Foreign Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, during the last year 15 new attaches were hired at the Ministry and 10 more will be hired on February 1st, 2023, while recently five Ministry employees were promoted to the Ambassador’s post.

UNSG’s reports

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As regards the anticipated reports of the UNSG on his good offices mission and the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus, Korneliou said that they are expected to circulate at the beginning of January.

“We have submitted our positions, our comments as we always do – both as regards the previous report and what we expect in the new one. I assume that the other side has done so as well and we are now waiting to hear from the UN,” he added.

New Ambassadors of Russia, US and Japan

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Korneliou also said that he met last week with the new Russian ambassador to Cyprus, Murat Zyazikov, who has recently arrived on the island.

“This was our first meeting and exchange of views. He has assumed his duties and he is expected to present his credentials most probably in January,” Korneliou said. Invited to comment on a statement by Ukrainian FM, Dmytro Kuleba, that his country will ask for Russia to be ousted from the UN Security Council where it is a permanent member, Korneliou said that this would be extremely difficult, as it requires a unanimous amendment of the UN Charter, including all the permanent members of the Security Council.

Moreover he noted that the US Senate has approved the appointment of Julie Fisher as the new ambassador of the US to Cyprus, and this has paved the way for her to come and assume her duties in Nicosia, while Judith Garber who served as the US ambassador until recently, has already left the island.

Meanwhile the new ambassador of Japan to Cyprus has also arrived to the island, has met with Korneliou, and is expected to present his credentials in the near future.