Russia ‘ready to assist Holguin’, says FM Lavrov
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Russia’s willingness to assist in the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin “to create conditions for the resumption of negotiations between the island’s communities” during their meeting in Moscow on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Russian ministry of foreign affairs.
The statement added that the settlement model should be fair and sustainable, based on the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, and determined by the Cypriot parties themselves, taking into account their legitimate interests.
Lavrov positively evaluated the activity of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the mission’s “good offices” of the UN Secretary-General “in the matter of maintaining stability on the island, which is a necessary precondition for intercommunal dialogue.”
He stressed that Russia is ready to continue to contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the work of the global organisation in this direction, including through its participation as a member of UNFICYP.
In a previous statement, Lavrov said that the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus and the experts accompanying her had “extensive consultations” with Russian Deputy Foreign Ministers Sergei Vershinin and Alexander Grushko, during which various aspects of the settlement on the island were thoroughly examined, with emphasis on the role of the global organisation in seeking a solution to this long-standing problem.”
The second statement highlighted Russia’s support for Holguin’s work in assisting intercommunal contacts and reiterated Russia’s principled position in favor of a comprehensive, sustainable, and fair solution to the issue within the framework of the international legal framework, “as defined in the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, without external pressure, with a crucial role for both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, taking into account their interests and concerns.”