CYPRUS: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON UNFICYP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000532 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV UNFICYP UNSC CY SUBJECT: CYPRUS: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON UNFICYP ¶1. (SBU) Cyprus SRSG Taye-Brook Zerihoun told the Security Council on May 22 that the military situation in Cyprus is stable, and he reported an increase in restrictions imposed on UNFICYP's movements by Turkish forces in the north. Zerihoun noted a lack of public support for a settlement, as well as a lack of follow-through on implementation of confidence building measures (CBMs). Turkish Permrep Ilkin encouraged greater UN involvement in the reunification negotiations. He criticized a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice on property rights for "hindering progress" toward a settlement, and he suggested that UNFICYP might be better configured as a political mission. He downplayed Turkish restrictions on UNFICYP movements. Ambassador DiCarlo encouraged the UN to increase the pace of negotiations and echoed a call by the UK for a review of UNFICYP's force levels in the next SYG report. Russian Permrep Vitaly Churkin said the Council should not take any steps that would have a "negative impact" on the negotiations, and said he was more concerned with "quality" than "the schedule" in adopting a resolutions, and called on pen-holder U.K. to submit a resolution "that could be adopted rapidly". France and China supported retention of UNFICYP for as long as the negotiations continued. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Taye-Brook Zerihoun told the Security Council on May 22 that the military situation in Cyprus is stable, with military personnel from both sides cooperating well with the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). He reported an increase in restrictions imposed on UNFICYP's moverments by Turkish forces in the north. He noted that when the UN raised the issue with Turkish forces, the UN had been assured that they would cease. "Unfortunately," he said, "the restrictions have continued." On the reunification negotiations, Zerihoun said they were moving along "at a steady rhythm", noting that the two leaders had met three times since Special Advisor Downer's April 30 briefing to the Council. Zerihoun said he was concerned about the lack of public support in both communities for the process, and for lack of follow-through on the part of the parties to implement confidence building measures that had been agreed by the leaders and technical committees. He hoped that the leaders would become more active in explaining the benefits of a settlement to their people, preferably in a way that would show they were "visible partners, working together." ¶3. (SBU) Turkish Permrep Baki Ilkin encouraged greater involvement by Special Advisor Downer. He emphasized that "we are not starting from scratch"-- referring to the body of UN work that had been created in previous negotiations. Ilkin said he looked forward to a "new partnership" on the island, where "neither side would claim authority or jurisdiction over the other." He urged the international community to "refrain from acts or decisions that prejudice the outcome" of negotiations, and he criticized a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice related to Greek Cypriot owned property in the north for "hindering progress". On UNFICYP, Ilkin said the peacekeeping mission had "played a valuable role in the 60's and 70's", but he suggested that depending on progress in the talks, "it may need to be reconfigured into a political mission" and focus its efforts on reaching a comprehensive settlement. Ilkin downplayed Turkish restrictions on UNFICYP movements in the north, saying they were related mainly to "social activities" of UNFICYP personnel. He said that 43 incidents since January 1, 2009 cited by the SYG's report were minimal compared with some 180,000 crossings by UNFICYP personnel of the buffer zone since January 2008. ¶4. (SBU) U.K. Permrep Sir John Sawers said there should be no hard deadlines for the completion of reunification negotiations, but the process "should not be open-ended, either." He believed there was an "urgent need" to intensify the pace of the talks. He welcomed the increasing frequency of meetings between the parties, and said it was important to finish the first reading of the negotiating chapters as soon as possible, in order to "give shape" to the overall agreement and "so real negotiations can begin." Sawers called for the Secretary-General to begin contingency planning for a possible settlement, and suggested that the Council keep UNFICYP's operations under close review. Sawers encouraged efforts to implement agreed-upon confidence building measures, including opening the Liminitis/Yesilirmak crossing. He said the U.K. was engaged in consultations with interested parties on the elements of a draft resolution to extend UNFICYP, and that he hoped to table it early the following week with an eye to adopting it before the end of Russia's May presidency, as had been the Security Council's understanding with the two sides. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo recalled Mr. Downer's remarks to USUN NEW Y 00000532 002 OF 002 the Council on April 30, in which he said it would be important for the Council to make clear that it has high expectations from the outcome of the settlement negotiations. She acknowledged the sensitivity of the negotiations, including the recent difficulties over the opening of border crossings, but she encouraged the leaders and the UN to intensify the negotiations. DiCarlo acknowledged the need for public support for an eventual settlement, underscoring the importance of the confidence building measures in building such support. She echoed Sawers' call for the SYG to keep UNFICYP's operations under close review as he does in other peacekeeping operations, and she said the U.S. would welcome recommendations in the next report regarding adjustments in mandate, force levels, and concept of operations in light of developments on the ground and the views of the two sides. ¶6. (SBU) Russian Permrep Vitaly Churkin said that UNFICYP played "a vitally important role" on the island, and he said the Council should not interfere with its mandate during the reunification negotiations. He also said the Council should not take any steps that would have a "negative impact" on the negotiations-- the Security Council's principle ought to be, "not undermining the process." In reference to Sawers' call for a resolution to be adopted in May, Churkin said he was "more concerned with quality than the schedule". Churkin, in turn, called on Sawers to "submit a resolution that could be adopted rapidly". ¶7. (SBU) France and China both made clear they believed UNFICYP to be necessary for as long as the negotiations may last, and that the parties were in the best position to determine the pace. Austria, Burkina Faso, Mexico, Japan, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Uganda, Libya and Croatia all supported extension of UNFICYP. Most spoke in favor of continued implementation of confidence building measures, including opening of the Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing and completion of phase 2 of the Ledra Street crossing. Austria emphasized EU efforts in demining activities. Mexico called for Turkey to avoid restrictions on UNFICYP mobility. Croatia called for the mandate to be extended for six years, followed by a chorus of laughter and a correction-- six months. RICE