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

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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