Cyprus: Politics and Government

(asked on 3rd June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role the UK Government has played in the reunification negotiations as the UN penholder on the Cyprus peace process.


Answered by
Wendy Morton Portrait
Wendy Morton
This question was answered on 11th June 2020

The UK is a strong supporter of a comprehensive and just Cyprus settlement based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. We regularly engage with the parties to the settlement talks at all levels. We continue to encourage all parties to engage constructively in talks about a settlement and demonstrate they are committed to making progress. We endorse the UN Secretary-General's view that prospects for a settlement remain alive. We welcome his continued willingness to work with the parties, such as his meeting of 25 November 2019 with the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders, and the engagement of UN Secretary General's Representative on the Cyprus Dispute, Ms Jane Holl Lute, and hope this will lead to a return to comprehensive negotiations. As penholder on the UN Security Council we fully support the renewal of mandate for the UN's peacekeeping force on Cyprus.

The UK continues to contribute to a settlement through practical assistance to help the two sides move towards a settlement. We are one of the largest troop contributors to the UN Peacekeeping Force on the island, UNFICYP. It is for the sides to agree on the details of any final settlement deal which will require the agreement of the two leaders, the support of Greece and Turkey and - importantly - successful referenda in each community.

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