in-cyprus 15 December 2022 - by Annie Charalambous
Nicosia welcomes the EU General Affairs Council conclusions which call on Turkey to respect UN resolutions on the Cyprus problem in general and on Turkish-held Varosha in particular.
The text was adopted at the last meeting of EU foreign ministers includes and will be put before EU leaders for approval.
More specifically, the conclusions include the following:
—Turkey must cease all threats and actions that harm good neighbourly relations, normalise its relations with the Republic of Cyprus and respect the sovereignty of all EU Member States over their territorial waters and airspace, as well as all their sovereign rights, including, inter alia, the right to explore and exploit natural resources, in accordance with EU and international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
—Recalling previous European Council conclusions, the EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. It recalls that Turkey’s commitment and contribution to a peaceful settlement, including its external aspects, within the framework of the United Nations, on the basis of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, in accordance with all relevant UNSC resolutions and in line with the principles on which the EU and the acquis are based, remains vital in this regard. The EU will continue to play an active role in supporting the process. The Council calls on Turkey to refrain from actions contrary to UN Security Council Resolutions 541 and 550.
Cyprus is divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey which still maintains troops in the breakaway northern part of the EU-member island.
