Filenews 2 March 2021
As a "starting point" he described the model of a bi-social bi-community federation for a solution to the Cyprus problem by the UK Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, referring to the need for flexibility and pragmatism.
He was responding to a question in the House of Commons from Labour MP Pambo Charalambous, who asked Mr Raab to confirm the UK's commitment to the bi-ethnic bi-community federation as the only basis for a political settlement in the run-up to the informal five-party discussion.
The British Minister initially said that he had recently visited Cyprus, where he had discussions with the President of the Republic and the Turkish Cypriot leader, to note that "of course (the bi-social bi-community federation) is the starting point".
He added that "the most important thing to do now is for both sides to go to these five-plus Un talks without preconditions, so that we can reintegrate into the kind of flexibility and pragmatism that a lasting and resilient peace can bring for the whole of Cyprus."
It is noted that in a written response to a question from Conservative MP Mark Pritchard on British policy on the Cyprus issue and support for Security Council Resolutions 550 and 789 last Friday, Deputy Foreign Secretary Wendy Morton reiterated the UK Government's support for a comprehensive and fair solution, "based on the existing parameters as set out in the relevant Security Council Resolutions. , including 550 (1984) and 789 (1992)', but this time omitting the usual explicit reference to the 'internationally accepted model of the bi-social bi-community federation'.
Nevertheless, two British government sources in the CYPE confirmed after the Raab response that the UK's position remains to be a strong supporter of a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-social, bi-community federation.
It is noted that it was not on 12 February that the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lord Ahmad, had given the same assurance to a question from Conservative Lord Balf about the forthcoming informal five-party conference.
Source: eyenews / CYPE
