Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support UN-Cyprus talks.

The UK is strongly supportive of a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus that will benefit all Cypriots. For that reason, the UK fully supported the UN-facilitated Conference on Cyprus this summer. The Foreign Secretary and I had productive discussions with all parties at the Conference to help resolve the remaining issues. In the end it was not possible to bridge the gaps between all parties. It will be up to all parties concerned to agree next steps. We are encouraging both Cypriot communities to reflect calmly on the way forward. We are also urging all parties to refrain from rhetoric and actions that limit the possibility of future talks towards a settlement. In the meantime, the UK is continuing to support a settlement, including through our deployment of military personnel to the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and through practical assistance to help the two sides move towards a settlement.