Cyprus-Forum.com

[repulsewarrior]

UNITED NATIONS, June 13 -- As the UN Security Council formally met on the Multi-National Force in Iraq, on the sidelines the talk was of Cyprus, specifically the pending resolution to extend the UNFICYP mission between June 15. The draft was called finalized for voting, or put into blue, on June 11. But on June 13, the scuttlebutt was that the United States, listed as a sponsor of the draft, suddenly is not satisfied with two references "welcoming... the Joint Statement of 23 May 2008." That in turn refers to "partnership" and "constituent states."

Now, it's said, the U.S. wants to get those phrases directly into the Security Council resolution, raising concerns for the Greeks and Greek Cypriots. They wonder if why there's last minute questioning of a finalized blue text;...

http://www.innercitypress.com/un1cyprus061308.html

...your comments.

[paaul12]

good old uncle sam

[Oracle]

The US usually has problems understanding English ... They get there in the end; just takes a little longer.

But he insisted that the language does not mean, and his side will not accept, two sovereign states in a loose federation.

[repulsewarrior]

US criticised over last-minute rewrite
By Jean Christou

THE US came under heavy fire yesterday for its blatant last-minute attempt to rewrite a UN Security Council resolution to satisfy the Turkish side.

In New York on Friday the US tried to reopen a debate on a resolution on Cyprus, which was eventually approved unchanged after a three-hour delay.

The Security Council met to approve the extension of UNFICYP’s mandate for another six months, the draft of which had been agreed days ago.

But during Friday’s session, the US permanent representative to the UN appeared with a last-minute amendment that would have added the words “constituent states” to the standard “bicommunal, bizonal federation”, solution outline.

The motion was rejected by the other 14 Council members as a violation of regulations.

It appears the US wanted the resolution to reflect the joint statement agreed by the two leaders on May 23, which reaffirmed their commitment for a bizonal bicommunal federation with political equality, as defined by relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The statement also mentions that this partnership would have a federal government with a single international personality, as well as a Turkish Cypriot constituent state and a Greek Cypriot constituent state which would be of equal status.

The government says that the Turkish side has misinterpreted the statement as a tacit recognition of the ‘TRNC”, and that it had moved via US influence in the UN, to have it included in the resolution.

Spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said the government was saddened by the US move.

“The attitude of the US is regrettable because it is encouraging Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership to continue with their arbitrary interpretations and unacceptable positions,” he said.

Ruling AKEL and the other political parties were unanimous that the US move was unacceptable.

Even after the Security Council rejected its motion to amend the text, Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Permanent Representative, who is also the Security Council President slipped the offending words into a statement he made after the original resolution was passed.

Referring back to the May 23 joint statement, he said: “They (the two sides in Cyprus) foresee a partnership, a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, with two politically equal constituent states sharing one federal government and enjoying one international personality. The United States welcomes this joint vision and is committed to supporting the leaders as they strive to achieve it in the months ahead.”




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