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Security Council extends UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus

Xinhua, January 27, 2017 Adjust font size:

The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus for six months, and welcomed the progress thus far in negotiations led by Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders, as well as ongoing efforts.

In the new resolution, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until end of July this year.

The 15-nation UN body encouraged the two sides to "grasp the current opportunity with determination" to secure a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, and called upon the two leaders to "put their efforts behind further work on reaching convergences on the core issues."

The resolution also called on them to "improve the public atmosphere for the negotiations, including by focussing public messages on convergences and the way ahead, and delivering more constructive and harmonized messages."

Meanwhile, the resolution further urged the implementation of confidence-building measures, saying that the Security Council looked forward to agreement on and implementation of further such mutually-acceptable steps, that can contribute to a conducive environment for a settlement.

The Security Council called on the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkish forces to restore the military status quo in Strovilia, which existed there prior to 30 June 2000, as well as called on both sides to allow access to deminers and to facilitate the removal of the remaining mines in Cyprus within the buffer zone, the resolution said.

It also urged them to extend demining operations outside the buffer zone.

UNFICYP -- one of the longest-running UN peacekeeping missions -- has been deployed on the Mediterranean island since 1964 to prevent further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities there and bring about a return to normal conditions. Enditem