Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of (1) the report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, published on 10 July, (2) the willingness of the Greek Cypriot representatives to resume negotiations and (3) the likelihood of such negotiations leading to an outcome where both Turkish and Greek Cypriot groups will have political equality.

​The United Kingdom welcomes the support the Security Council expressed in July for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), and will continue to work with others to ensure UNFICYP can carry out its mission effectively and efficiently. We also welcome the commitment of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, as announced following their meeting on 9 August, to finalise Terms of Reference to enable results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement with a sense of urgency; and the next steps agreed to achieve this.

It is for the sides to agree on the details of any final deal. A settlement will require the agreement of the two leaders, the support of Greece and Turkey and – importantly – successful referenda in each community.

The United Kingdom is a strong supporter of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue, based on the internationally accepted model of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation.