UN closely monitoring Varosha developments, UNSG tells President

The UN is closely monitoring developments with fence-off city of Varosha in the north and is committed to help all parties resume negotiations with the aim of reuniting Cyprus, a letter sent by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to the President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades said.

According to a written statement by Deputy Government Spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas, the UN SG sent a letter to the Cypriot President on August 27 in response to President Anastasiades’ letters and following the telephone conversation they held on the August 25.

In his letter, Guterres says that he takes the concerns expressed by the President of the Republic regarding the issue of Varosha seriously and gives assurances that he is closely following developments, citing the recent UN reports dated 10 and 13 of July 2020.

In addition, the UN SG recalled that the UN Security Council, in a statement on October 9 2019, reaffirmed the importance of the regime in Varosha, as outlined in previous Security Council resolutions, and said that no action should be taken in relation to Varosha which is not in line with the relevant UN SC resolutions.

In his letter, Guterres underlined that the UN is guided by the UN Charter and the relevant UN SC resolutions and is ready to assist in the implementation of measures in line with those resolutions.

The UNSG assured the President of Cyprus that the UN is closely monitoring the situation, remaining committed to helping the parties resume a sustainable and comprehensive negotiation process, with a view to achieving the reunificaiton of the island under conditions of peace and security.

Varosha, the fenced off section of the northern section of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’. UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.