Foreign Minister addresses UN on Pyla and Cyprus problem

Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos began his contacts in New York, on the sidelines of the High Level Week of the 78th UN General Assembly. On the agenda are the Cyprus issue and the recent events in Pyla.

A statement from the Ministry says that during his meeting on Monday with his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dačić, the two Ministers reviewed Cyprus-Serbia relations, expressing their readiness to further deepen the bilateral cooperation. The latest developments in the Cyprus issue and the efforts made by the Greek Cypriot side to resume the negotiations were also discussed.

The Serbian Foreign Minister confirmed Serbia's long-standing support to the Republic of Cyprus in relation to the Cyprus issue and in favor of respect for international law, it is added.

Kombos reaffirmed Cyprus' support for Serbia's EU accession process and expressed his wish for the deepening of Serbia’s relations with the EU. He also reaffirmed Cyprus’ principled position in relation to Kosovo.

During the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Liechtenstein, Dominique Hasler, the prospect of strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and their cooperation within international organizations was on the agenda.

Cyprus' Foreign Minister informed his counterpart about the latest developments in the Cyprus issue and the provocative actions of the Turkish occupying forces against UNFICYP within the buffer zone in Pyla.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also participated in the high-level meeting on the Middle East peace process, which was co-organized by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League and the EU, in cooperation with Egypt and Jordan.

He also took part in the regular informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU member states.

The Ministers discussed the situation in the Sahel region, the developments in relation to Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine, as well as a number of other international current affairs.

The Foreign Minister attended an event organized by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Germany's accession to the UN.

Cyprus 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.

On Friday August 18, 2023 Turkish Cypriots punched and kicked a group of international peacekeepers who obstructed crews illegally working on a road that would encroach on a UN controlled buffer zone, near the village of Pyla. Members of the Security Council condemned on August 22, 2023, the incidents against UN peacekeepers, reiterating their full support for UNFICYP. They also condemned the damage to UN vehicles by Turkish Cypriot personnel emphasizing that "attacks against peacekeepers may constitute crimes under international law and reaffirmed their full commitment to the safety of all UN personnel."