European Commission spokesperson for foreign affairs, Peter Stano, called for 'calm and stability' in the area, asking also for the resumption of work for a mutually agreeable way forward in the area. Stano also pointed out that this was an unacceptable assault, and underlined that the EU supports the UN's role both in efforts to reach a settlement as well as the role of UN peacekeepers, stressing that UN Security Council resolutions need to be respected.
Responding to a question by the Cyprus News Agency during the Commission's midday briefing in Brussels, Stano recalled that both President Von der Leyen and High Representative Josep Borrell reacted on Friday 'regarding the unacceptable assault actually, against the UN peacekeepers in Cyprus' and that those comments remain valid.
'We have condemned of course the assault against UN peacekeepers in Cyprus. We call for calm and stability in the area, as well as for the resumption of the important work for a mutually agreeable way forward in this area of Pyla or Pile,' Stano said.
The spokesperson also recalled the conclusions of June's European Council, where it was stated that 'the EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem within the framework of the UN and in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions', which he pointed out 'need to be respected', as well as 'in line with the principles on which the EU is founded and the acquis communautaire of the EU'.
'It is very important to respect the resolutions of the UN Security Council, it's important to follow up on the European Council conclusions. We are ready to support, we are committed to a comprehensive settlement and of course we are supporting the role that the UN plays in the settlement overall, and (that) the UN peacekeepers are playing on the island,' he added.
Responding to a follow up question on the role that the EU can play in efforts to de-escalate the situation in an EU member state, the spokesperson said that 'indeed Cyprus is a member state of the European Union, so the European Union fully supports Cyprus.' He once again pointed to the latest European Council conclusions in June which 'made it very clear what the position of the European Union is'.
'Our position is that we are and we remain fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus Problem within a UN framework of course. We will support the UN, we will support Cyprus, as much as possible. Cyprus is an EU member. And as I said there are relevant UN Security Council resolutions that need to be respected, that need to be delivered on and that need to be kept' he pointed out.
Members of the Security Council condemned onTuesday, August 22, 2023, the incidents in the buffer zone, in the village of Pyla, in Larnaca district, with assaults against UN peacekeepers, reiterating their full support for UNFICYP
They also condemned the attacks on UN peacekeepers and the damage to UN vehicles by Turkish Cypriot personnel and wished a speedy and full recovery to the peacekeepers who were injured. They emphasized that "attacks against peacekeepers may constitute crimes under international law and reaffirmed their full commitment to the safety of all UN personnel."
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.
The attack happened as peacekeepers stood in the way of work crews building a road to connect the Turkish occupied village of Arsos with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla, inside the buffer zone.
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
Source: Cyprus News Agency