Kofi Annan on Cyprus
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Kofi Annan expressed regret on Friday over his failure to end a decades-long dispute over the divided island of Cyprus during his 10 years as UN secretary-general and blamed both sides for the impasse. «Despite a decade of almost continuous UN efforts, an agreement on a comprehensive settlement did not prove possible,» Annan said, having dealt with Cyprus throughout his two five-year terms as UN leader. «I cannot but regret the continued stalemate in the political process and the missed opportunities,» he said in his final report to the UN Security Council on Cyprus before stepping down at year’s end. The Mediterranean island has been split into a Turkish-Cypriot north, recognized solely by Turkey, and an internationally recognized Greek-Cypriot south since Turkish troops invaded the north in 1974 to foil an Athens-backed Greek-Cypriot coup seeking to unite the island with Greece. UN peacekeepers have been on Cyprus since 1964, with 910 troops and police now patrolling the 180-kilometers (110-mile) «green line» separating the north and south. With the peacekeepers’ mandate expiring December 15, Annan said that, absent a comprehensive settlement of the dispute, the council should authorize the force to remain on the job for another six months, until June 15, 2007. While UN efforts have set the stage for «positive forward movement,» both sides must «show the necessary good will and determination to overcome their apparent deep mutual distrust and suspicion of each other’s true motives,» Annan said. He also called for an end to the «blame game» carried out «relentlessly and unhelpfully by officials and the press of both sides.» UN-backed efforts to unify the island came close to success in 2004 but fell short after Greek Cypriots rejected a peace plan drafted by Annan while Turkish Cypriots voted to accept the plan. The situation has since been further complicated by the government in the south joining the European Union in 2004 while Turkey is still seeking EU membership.
