22 April 2004
Security Council Willing to Support Cyprus Plan, U.S. Says
Ambassador Cunningham's UNSC remarks on Cyprus
The United States says that despite the Russian veto of a Security Council draft resolution, it believes the Security Council will agree to a new U.N. mission in Cyprus and arms embargo if the U.N.-brokered settlement plan for Cyprus is approved April 24.
Speaking during an open Security Council meeting April 21, U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said he was disappointed that the council could not pass the resolution before the Cyprus referenda in order to provide assurances to Greek Cypriots that security structures would be in place.
The draft resolution, he said, "demonstrates the obvious and strong support of the international community for implementing all aspects of the U.N. settlement."
The draft resolution that Russia vetoed on April 21 would have ended the mandate of the U.N. Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and replaced it with the U.N. Settlement Implementation Mission in Cyprus (UNSIMIC). Russia said that while it supports the U.N. efforts in Cyprus, there should have been more discussion on the draft resolution before voting.
"It is very clear to us that if the settlement is approved by all Cypriots in the referenda on Saturday, there would be very rapid action in the Security Council to establish the U.N. Settlement Implementation Mission in Cyprus and arms embargo," Cunningham said.
Secretary General Kofi Annan had asked the council to adopt the resolution prior to the referenda as part of his efforts to win support for the plan. He also sent a video message to Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots describing his plan as a compromise that is "the only foreseeable route to the reunification of Cyprus."
Following is the text of Cunningham's remarks:
(begin text)
U.S. Mission to the U.N.
April 21, 2004
Explanation of Vote by Ambassador James B. Cunningham, Deputy United States Representative to the United Nations, on the Resolution on Cyprus, in the Security Council, April 21, 2004
Thank you, Mr. President.
We too are disappointed that one member of the Security Council was not prepared to support the Secretary General's request to pass this resolution before the referenda in order to provide assurances to Greek Cypriots that the security structures provided for in the Settlement would be in place before they vote on April 24.
I note that the vote demonstrates that the opposition to the draft was isolated and that it is clear that the other members of the Security Council took a very different view, in support of the Secretary General.
Nonetheless, it is very clear to us that if the settlement is approved by all Cypriots in the referenda on Saturday, there would be very rapid action in the Security Council to establish the UN Settlement Implementation Mission in Cyprus and arms embargo.
We want to note also that this resolution, which was supported by an overwhelming majority of the members of the Security Council, would have provided for the establishment of the UN Settlement Implementation Mission in Cyprus as well as the arms embargo. This demonstrates the obvious and strong support of the international community for implementing all aspects of the UN Settlement, which provides for the return of over 120,000 Greek Cypriot refugees to their former homes, a comprehensive property compensation and restitution system, and the withdrawal of almost all Turkish troops from the island.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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