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Cypriot Foreign Minister: War ‘does not affect Confidence Building Measures’

There is no change of tactics, no other planning by Nicosia in view of the ongoing war in Ukraine, as a result of the Russian invasion, according to philenews.com. The Cypriot government estimates, according to a letter-instruction to the diplomatic staff, that “life goes on as before” and no changes are needed.

Written instructions by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giannakis Kasoulidis, to all the diplomatic staff in the central service and in the diplomatic missions, state that “continuation of the war in Ukraine does not affect our proposals for the MOE, nor does it put them in the freezer, which was misinterpreted and unfortunately was left to be understood “. The allegation of misinterpretation concerns the fact that the Foreign Minister’s statements were misinterpreted, prompting Brussels (by Josep Borrell’s associates) to ask whether it had been decided to leave the JHA at a time when the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU at the urging of Nicosia raised the issue. The Cypriot government denied that “the MOEs were abandoned”.

The same document on “Russian invasion of Ukraine and the attitude of the Republic of Cyprus / Confidence Building Measures” describes Nicosia’s position in Ukraine, while in the case of Cyprus, the political direction is MOE.

This is an approach that obviously does not take into account the international environment and the developments that are taking place in the wider region and obviously affect Cyprus in many ways. Both from the fact that it participated in the decision-making (sanctions) and from the fact that the Cypriot economy is (or was) dependent on Russia. The major thing, of course, in this case, which also concerns the Cyprus issue, is that the reaction of the so-called international community to the Russian invasion of Ukraine is changing the data and the approaches. The tools used in response to an invasion can also be used by the Republic of Cyprus. The sanctions were on the table, they were withdrawn, but they can come back with a political decision. The opportunity is often offered to put the real character of the Cyprus issue as an issue of invasion and ongoing occupation.

The written instructions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs state, in relation to the Confidence Building Measures, the following:

“MOEs are neither in the freezer nor in the refrigerator. They are a package proposal, full of substance and content. In our contacts we continue the efforts to promote MOEs with the same intensity and focus. Sincere efforts, which try to create mobility The continuation of the war in Ukraine does not affect our proposals for the UNHCR, nor does it put them in the freezer, which was misinterpreted and unfortunately left to be understood. “At the international level, it’s logical for them to move their energy in this direction in due course due to the war in Ukraine.” Then a report is recorded, which confirms that even -although this was mentioned a long time ago- the proposal was not submitted to the Turkish side: “The MOE is on the table as a proposal of our side, which will soon be submitted to the T / C side in a formal manner “.

There is also a report on the attitude of the occupying Turkey to the Ukrainian issue and Ankara’s efforts to present itself as a mediating peace force. In this regard, the directive notes that “Turkey seeks to play a mediating role in resolving and resolving the crisis by taking a series of policy initiatives, which are more like public relations exercises than substantial efforts to achieve concrete results”.

Nicosia is also annoyed by the fact that the occupying power does not apply sanctions. This is done with the tolerance, of course, of the EU. and the United Nations. It is noted that Ankara has stated in its official contacts, in every direction, that “only sanctions decided by the United Nations apply”! The document on this subject states the following:

“Turkey has chosen not to apply EU sanctions, demonstrating a stance that is in no way in line with its status as a NATO ally and candidate for EU membership. This is exactly the stance we have denounced in the US, UN and France, as well as at EU level with a relevant letter to J. Borrell “.

Fully harmonized with sanctions in the Ukrainian

The Republic of Cyprus condemned from the outset the Russian invasion of Ukraine. No spins and “yes others”. In the instructions to the diplomats, the Foreign Minister notes the following:

1. What is happening in Ukraine composes a scenario of international instability, which has caused intense political upheaval and geopolitical upheaval.

2. Cyprus condemned from the outset the invasion of an independent, sovereign and territorially intact country and strongly opposed any action that violates any rule of law, such as the inviolability of the border and the Helsinki Final Act, which is the code behavior of states towards citizens and sets the framework for the further development of the process for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

He went on to describe the measures taken by the EU, “acting in a spirit of unity and solidarity”, recalling the closure of the National Airspace for Russian airlines and aircraft and the revocation of the mooring licenses of three Russian warships, which were scheduled to dock in the port of Limassol. As for the humanitarian aspect, “we have made a contribution of EUR 100,000 to the UN OCHA fund and another EUR 100,000 to the special fund set up to support Ukraine. mission of the first package of humanitarian aid, which exceeds 1,000,000 euros “.

At the same time, he notes that the provisions of the relevant European directive which provides for the granting of temporary protection status to Ukrainian citizens have been fully implemented. At the same time, the diplomatic missions of the KD have been informed about the facilities they provide to Ukrainian refugees, who have the right, among other things, to stay and work on European territory for a period of 12 months. The Ministry of Tourism has secured 3,000 beds in hotel units and accommodation, which are ready to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.

He also urges diplomats to address misinformation efforts against Cyprus, as in the case of SWIFT.

Source: Philenews.com

Source: Capital

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