Government ‘closely monitoring’ Pyla situation

The government is “closely monitoring” the situation in Pyla, according to its spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

He added that President Nikos Christodoulides and the Cypriot foreign minister were “constantly making diplomatic contacts”.

In addition, he said “what is not going to be accepted is anything that calls into question the status of the buffer zone”.

He also confirmed the “main reason” behind the upcoming visit on August 27-29 of UN Assistant Secretary General for Europe, Central Asia, and the Americas Miroslav Jenca as being “in view of the upcoming UN General Assembly”.

The trip was planned after a telephone conversation between Christodoulides and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

Letymbiotis said the Greek Cypriot side will “repeat to Jenca our readiness for the immediate resumption of negotiations based on the agreed plan and the sincere will for a constructive dialogue so that the negotiations can resume”.

Pyla hit the headlines last Friday after Turkish Cypriot personnel “violently pushed back” UN peacekeepers in the buffer zone while attempting to begin construction on a road from the village to Arsos, which is located in the north.

A UN peacekeeper was punched in the face and multiple vehicles were rendered undriveable during the incident.

The Turkish Cypriot side was roundly condemned by the international community, including by the UN Security Council.

There has been no action in the buffer zone since last Friday.