The United Nations Security Council is expected at the end of January to adopt a resolution extending the mandate of the peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for another six months, until July 31, 2023 and to this end the procedures are already underway, foreign ministry spokesman Demetris Demetriou told CNA.
Demetriou reiterated the Greek Cypriot side is not satisfied with the UN Secretary General’s (UNSG) reports which circulated as UN Security Council official document on January 13, because they ‘adhere to the policy of equal distances and include subjective and non-objective views of the representatives of the Secretary General.’
“We do not accept that the Republic of Cyprus equates to the rhetoric of Mr. (Tahsin) Ertugruloglou and Mr. (Ersin) Tatar,” said Demetriou, adding that an objective and accurate report should normally call on all sides to adhere to the agreed solution framework of Cyprus which is none other than the bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality.
It is noted that the Special Representative of the UNSG Colin Stewart, is already at the UN headquarters in New York, and is expected to inform the Security Council on January 17 in view of the resolution to renew the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force.
UNSG Antonio Guterres’ report on UNFICYP, which was released on Wednesday evening as an official document of the Security Council, number S/2023/3, records, inter alia, the lack of common ground between the two sides for peace talks that will lead to a mutually agreed solution. The report proposes to the Security Council the extension of the mandate of the mission for six months, until July 31, 2023.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said it was unacceptable that “subjective views” had been included in two UN reports by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that went “beyond objective facts”.
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