by halil » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:09 am
UN SECERETARY GENERAL BAN’S REPORT CALLS ON BOTH SIDES TO END BLAME ‘GAME’ AND START TALKS !!!!
In his report, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon calls on the two sides in Cyprus to end the blame game and to sit back at the negotiations table for talks which will open the way for the reunification of the island.
In his latest report to the UN Security Council, Mr Ban says that the presence of the UNFICYP on the island is a necessity and advises the Security Council to extend the force’s mandate for another 6 months, until the 15th of December 2007.
Pointing out that the two sides on the island had taken small but progressing steps towards the right direction, the UN Secretary General said that the continuing dialogue between the two sides cannot be seen as little development when one considers the prevailing atmosphere of distrust created after the 2004 referendum.
“Now is the right time for the consensus to translate into action, the Secretary General noted.
The Secretary General also calls on the two sides to implement the July-8 agreement as soon as possible and to end the blame game, which he says, only serves to undermine the process.
Mr Ban also says the responsibility for a solution in Cyprus rests primarily with Cypriots, calling on them to get involved more in the struggle to determine the future of the island.
He noted that some circles within the international community are questioning the necessity for the extension of the UNFICYP mandate particularly in the absence of substantive progress in the political process but he added that he believes the existence of the Force is still necessary.