Greek foreign ministry welcomes UN-brokered consensus on Pyla buffer zone
The Greek Foreign Ministry has welcomed the consensus that was reached “after intense, thorough negotiations between the Republic of Cyprus and the UN Peacekeeping Force about the area north of Pyla.”
The Foreign Ministry noted on Wednesday that the consensus secures the status quo in the UN buffer zone, restores order, and creates conditions for building trust between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
A standoff was triggered in August between UN peacekeepers and Turkish Cypriots in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus who attempted to construct a road traversing the UN buffer zone in the southeast of the island.
In return for the road, the compromise foresees that an area will be designated for civilian use and opened as a residential area for Greek and Turkish Cypriots, which up until now had been restricted under buffer zone rules, and a checkpoint manned by the UN in the vicinity.
Calling this a positive development, the Greek ministry said that Cyprus’ constructive stance favored the outcome, noting also that this will help restart talks about resolving the Cyprus issue under a new UN Cyprus envoy.
The Pyla plateau is known as a community under UN jurisdiction, inhabited by both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
