Today, the President of the
Republic, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides received Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations responsible for peacekeeping
operations, at the Presidential Palace. Following the meeting with the President,
Mr. Lacroix and the Government Spokesman made statements:
In his statement, Mr. Lacroix
mentioned the following:
“We had a very productive and
constructive discussion with His Excellency the President of the Republic.
First and foremost, we discussed the support provided by President
Christodoulides and the Cypriot authorities to UNFICYP, and we express our
sincere appreciation for this support. We also noted the very positive
development represented by the agreement on the construction of the
Arsos-Pyla road. This agreement was reached after intense consultations with
both sides, and now we look forward to its implementation. UNFICYP will
continue to work with both sides to ensure the successful implementation of
this important agreement. We also discussed the situation in the region, and
in particular the situation in Gaza. The United Nations highly values the
willingness of the Republic of Cyprus to assist in the humanitarian efforts,
and we welcome President Christodoulides' initiative in this regard.”
In reply to a journalist's
question referring on media reports regarding the rejection by the Turkish
side of the appointment of Ms. Bishop as an envoy and whether this rejection
pertains to the individual or the appointment of a representative in general,
Mr. Lacroix stated that he cannot comment on what is reported in the media
but mentioned that the Secretary-General continues to actively engage with
both sides
In another question if, in the
absence of negotiations, confidence-building measures are appropriate, such
as in the issue of missing persons, Mr. Lacroix emphasized the importance of
confidence-building measures and mentioned that during his visit, he will
have the opportunity to meet with the Committee on Missing Persons whose work
is highly appreciated. He added that "anything that can be done to help
identify and resolve more cases of missing persons needs to be done and we
are pushing for this to happen."
Replying to a journalist's
follow-up question about how humanitarian aid will be distributed once it
reaches Gaza and if the U.N. will be in charge, the Deputy Secretary-General
stated that "the Secretary General in the first place and our colleagues
in charge of the humanitarian efforts are actively working so that more
humanitarian assistance can be delivered to the population of Gaza. And of
course, it is for them with the parties to look at what better modalities can
be put in place. But I can assure you that the determination to work actively
in that direction is from the U.N.”
In his statement, the
Government Spokesman stated the following:
The meeting between the
President of the Republic and the Deputy Secretary-General of the United
Nations, Mr. Lacroix, has concluded. It was a very constructive meeting
during which the President of the Republic had the opportunity to discuss
with the Deputy Secretary-General the efforts being made by our side to
resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue from where they were left off. He
once again conveyed our strong belief that the appointment of an envoy by the
Secretary-General will bring significant added value. As known, our side
responded positively to the appointment within the first twenty-four hours we
were asked, and we believe that as soon as the other side responds, this
envoy can explore the prospect of restarting negotiations. Regarding the achievement
of an agreement in the situation of Pyla, Mr. Lacroix expressed his
satisfaction with the stance shown by the Republic of Cyprus, and the
President of the Republic himself in this very important development. The
President of the Republic once again expressed our sincere political will to
fulfil the provisions of the agreement, as these provisions will be
beneficial for both communities. Finally, the President of the Republic
presented to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations the initiative
undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus for the creation of a humanitarian sea
corridor from Cyprus to Gaza for the uninterrupted provision of humanitarian
aid, an initiative that Mr. Lacroix stated he welcomes, and the United
Nations fully supports and will assist us in any way possible to ensure that
food and essential supplies are delivered to Gaza.”
Next, the Government Spokesman
answered questions:
When asked about the issue of
the appointment of an envoy, Mr. Letymbiotis mentioned that Mr. Lacroix
conveyed that the Secretary-General of the United Nations remains committed
to the appointment of the envoy and, in response to a follow-up question regarding
information that has been made public, he reiterated that "what we know
is that the Secretary-General is in constant contact with the Turkish side,
and that there is no further information available at this time.”
In response to another question
related to the President's contacts and whether there have been any
developments regarding the Gaza issue, the Government Spokesman stated:
"The President of the Republic had a lengthy telephone conversation with
the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Netanyahu, last night, who views this
initiative positively, and we are currently in a position to further develop
this initiative on a technical level. It is very positive that both the
European Institutions and the United Nations view this initiative in a
positive light. Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is traveling to
Germany, where he will also raise the issue of the humanitarian corridor, and
what we prioritize is to achieve the creation of the humanitarian sea
corridor as soon as possible.”
Responding to a journalist's
question about how the United Nations can assist the Republic of Cyprus in
implementing this initiative, Mr. Letymbiotis said that it will be done in
any way feasible, and that the initiative concerns the direct transportation
of humanitarian aid to Gaza and its reception by United Nations personnel
there.
When asked if the President of
the Republic had a telephone conversation with the President of France, the
Government Spokesman explained that it was not possible last night but that a
communication will take place in the coming days or hours.
(ASP/KK)
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