The foreign ministry welcomed on Friday the adoption of a resolution on Varosha by the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The resolution called for the immediate return of Varosha to its lawful residents and was adopted on Thursday.

According to the ministry, the adoption of the resolution sends important messages in relation to the solution of the Cyprus issue, “especially now, days before the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation”.

The ministry explained that Turkey’s ongoing illegal actions, including the partial opening of the fenced off city, constitute serious violations of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which undermine the prospects of achieving a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue.

In an announcement, the ministry also expressed gratitude to PACE for supporting the efforts of the UN Secretary General to resume the negotiation process and for the call to Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to abandon the ‘two-state policy’ and to return to the negotiating table to achieve a comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue within the framework of the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

The ministry also congratulated the Cypriot delegation to PACE for its contribution to the adoption of the  resolution, “which includes important messages in relation to the solution of the Cyprus issue.