UK’s Minister of State for European Affairs, Nusrat Ghani has reiterated her country’s firm support for the UN efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, as well as the importance of the appointment of the UN Personal Envoy for Cyprus.
In an interview with the Greek newspaper ‘Kathimerini’, Ghani, who recently visited Greece, noted that “the UK remains committed to supporting UN efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.”
“We continue to believe that the current UN parameters are flexible enough to facilitate an agreement that takes into account the priorities of both sides,” she said, while stressing that “ultimately, it is the two sides that will decide the details of any agreement.”
“The appointment of the UN Secretary General’s envoy is an important step and I was pleased to be informed of her contacts in Athens and London,” Ghani said.
“We stand ready to support her efforts to find common ground and encourage all parties to seize the opportunity to make progress,” the UK Secretary of State concluded.
Cypru
s has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Columbia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.
Source: Cyprus News Agency