Ενημέρωση
του Συμβουλίου Ασφαλείας για το Κυπριακό
Το
Συμβούλιο Ασφαλείας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών είχε σήμερα (26.1.15) κλειστές
διαβουλεύσεις, υπό την προεδρία του Μονίμου Αντιπροσώπου της
Χιλής κ. Christi
á n Barros Melet
, στη διάρκεια των οποίων ενημερώθηκαν από τον Ειδικό Σύμβουλο του Γενικού
Γραμματέα ΟΗΕ για την Κύπρο κ. Espen Barth Eide
και από
την Ειδική Αντιπρόσωπο του Γενικού Γραμματέα κα Lisa Buttenheim
. Σημειώνεται ότι η θητεία της UNFICYP
λήγει στις 31 Ιανουαρίου και το Συμβούλιο Ασφαλείας αναμένεται να υιοθετήσει
ψήφισμα για ανανέωση της θητείας της για άλλους έξι μήνες στις 28
Ιανουαρίου.
Αμέσως
μετά την ενημέρωση ο κ. Eide
και η κα Buttenheim προέβησαν
στις πιο κάτω δηλώσεις προς τους δημοσιογράφους και απάντησαν σε ερωτήσεις τους,
ως ακολούθως:
Eide: Special Representative Buttenheim and I have both briefed the
Security Council today, both on UNFICYP report and on the state of play in the
negotiations on the political field. We had a very good discussion with the
Council and it confirmed to us the strong sense that we have, that the Security
Council stands really behind us, that was expressed by every member of the
Council and they all reiterated the importance of a speedy resumption of the
talks and who are all interested in how, the Council itself can play a role in
moving out of the current stalemate, so we felt very encouraged by the debate we
had and on the issues of UNFICYP maybe Ms. Buttenheim can say a few words.
Buttenheim: I was happy that Council Members, all of them, expressed
strong support for our Mission, but also areas of concerned expressed by the
Secretary General in the report about access to minefields and the ability to
overcome these problems concerning mines, which are deadly and also renewed my
own appeal to the Security Council in their resolution to again speak about
this, because it gives us tremendous support in going back on the island to ask
for cooperation from the sides on this.
Question: So that means your efforts are pending the decision of the
Council? I understand in Davos you had some meetings with President
Anastasiades. Probably you have spoken yesterday with Mr. Eroglu. Anything comes
out of it?
Eide: I have had a number of extensive consultations with
Anastasiades in Davos. I invited him there precisely because it was a good
opportunity not only for us to meet, but also for him to meet with either
interlocutor. I have also spoken to Mr Eroglu, as you said, as late as
yesterday; I have stayed in close contact with the sides. What I can share with
you is that I feel we are still in a stalemate, no news to share with you that
is going to be over by tomorrow. I feel that there is a genuine will on both
sides to look for a way to come out and to return to the negotiations because I
believe that both sides are beginning to feel that the current hydrocarbons
crisis is mutually hurting for both sides. And experience has it that when both
sides knows that there in a stalemate which neither side is benefiting for
that’s the good moment to look for ways to move out of the crisis. I am actually
some more cautiously optimistic than when I was in Cyprus.
Question: In Cyprus you sounded a little bit pessimistic after the
meetings with both sides. Can we say that you are a little bit more optimistic
today and is there any prospect for an immediate meeting between the two sides,
I mean or have things got more complex right now?
Eide: On your last question, there is no news to share about any
immediate meeting. But it is correct that when I was in Cyprus I expressed my
increasing concern over the length of the stalemate. You may remember that when
in October, when the talks were suspended and when Mr Anastasiades decided not
to take part, I said that if this crisis takes few weeks or maybe even a few
months, it would probably be easy to catch up the lost time, but it would take
more time it would be more concerning because the situation around Cyprus as we
know is deteriorating as we speak and we don’t want to see a stalemate that
cannot actually make the neighborhood come too close, or the situation in the
neighborhood come too close to Cyprus. It is also true that based on
conversations that I have lately, I feel what I just said. The will to move out
of the crisis is there. That will does not necessarily translate into any
immediate change but we are thinking about how this could be done and I am
preparing myself and my team for speeding an effective negotiation as soon as we
can and when the situation is right. But I am not suggesting that is going to
happen right away. Now I share this with the Council and I feel the full support
of the Council in this approach and that is very important because again, as I
said before, there are many issues in the world
where this body is much less united that the issue of Cyprus. This is
something that all Cypriots should recognize and welcome and try to utilize the
strong support you have from the national community to move ahead to what I
think is the most obvious solution, which is a bizonal, bicommunal federation of
Cyprus.
Question: The President of Cyprus was pretty critical of the most
recent report, saying it did not take threats to sovereignty seriously enough.
Could either of you respond to that?
Buttenheim: I think the Secretary General’s report said what it
needed to say and you know when we are looking, as Mr Eide just said, to find
way to get the sides back to the table and to resume the talks as quickly as
possible, we do not want language which is going to further escalate or polarize
the situation. So, I think the Secretary General’s report is there, we just had
the opportunity to give further briefing to the Security Council, which answered
I hope as many questions as they had and I would like to say something that Mr.
Eide mentioned in the Security Council which is that our two missions, the Good
Offices Mission and the UNFICYP, work very, very closely together and it is a
good example of a team approach on the ground, which I think is also recognized
by both sides.
Question: Who is responsible for the stalemate? Why you don’t say the
truth? Why you never blame Turkey in this building? They occupy Cyprus as you
know!
Eide: We know that.
Question: Why you don’t put it on the report? And you always …
Eide: The Security Council of the United Nations has expressed itself
many, many times on the issue almost since the beginning of the UN, it does
express itself of all the things in Cyprus and number one prerogative and desire
is to see reunification of the island through negotiations and in these
negotiations there are two sides, the Greek Cypriot side and the Turkish Cypriot
side, and these negotiations is the way to overcome a situation which both sides
describe as unacceptable. It is a very strong word but it is a word said by the
Greek Cypriot leader and the Turkish Cypriot leader in the joint declaration,
that everything in the current situation is unacceptable and there are a lot of
things that are unacceptable in this situation. The good news, as we share with
the Council, is that, contrast to all the other conflicts that will be on the
table today and in other days in this Council, there is also a broad agreement
that this can be solved together. But you cannot solve it blaming each other, I
can guarantee that. I have been around in these situations and these
negotiations before and there are very few cases where escalation of blames and
recrimination solves the problem. So I think it is much, much more important to
focus on the fact that there is a will to talk, there is a will to move forward
and that is our emphasis. When it comes to history, and this is a general
statement, it depends where you start. Because you choose one date to start,
others start on another date and you can go back until the early beginnings and
Adam and Eve. I think it is much better to look forward, and there is much more
solutions in the future than in the past.
Question: Sir, in the last
time you spoke in Milliyet you have said that Anastasiades has made his move and
now it is Mr Eroglu’s time. Anything has changed since this statement? Did you
say the same thing to the Council or something else?
Eide: If anything is changing we will share that when it
materializes.
Question: So do you stand by this statement you have made to
Milliyet?
Eide: I recognize that Anastasiades made an important adaptation to
the Greek Cypriot position. I believe that hydrocarbons can be discussed at the
table, I think that is good. I think this is something we work jointly to build
further on. But as a general comment to the questions, I would like to say that
if the biggest question in the world is about who is guilty and who is to blame,
I think you all have a long conflict ahead of you. I think if you changed the
question to how to get out of this, it will be a speedier process, but that is
not up to me to decide, that is a recommendation. What I want to share with you
is that the Security Council is concerned, is interested and is committed to a
solution enshrined in the joint declaration.
________________
27
Ιανουαρίου, 2015
