UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is expected to submit two reports on Cyprus to the UN Security Council, one on the United Nations peace-keeping force on the island (UNFICYP) and the other on his Good Offices Mission.
Both reports will be issued within the first ten days of July, and a resolution for the renewal of UNFICYP`s mandate is expected to be adopted at the end of the month.
Cyprus` Permanent Representation to the UN has begun meetings, stressing the need to reflect the real facts in both reports. The Cyprus UN Mission is also working to prevent any surprises in either report and any wrong or exaggerated assessments of the situation which may cause friction at the ongoing UN-led negotiations for a political settlement.
Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, conveyed the same messages to Ban during their meeting in New York, at the beginning of this month, while Government Spokesman Nikos Christodoulides acted along the same lines during his meetings with Ban`s close aides.
The date for the adoption of the Security Council resolution is expected to be determined this week and a briefing of the Security Council members by UN Secretary General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, is expected to be arranged accordingly.
Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, have been engaged since May last year in UN-led talks, aiming to reunite the island under a federal roof.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.
Apostolis Zoupaniotis