Bosnian FM warns of looming Cyprus deadline

THE COMMUNITIES on the island need to develop a plan to overcome their differences before the end of January, said visiting Foreign Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina Sven Alkalaj yesterday.

Speaking after a meeting in Nicosia with Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou, Alkalaj, whose country is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2010-2011, said the Cyprus problem would be discussed at the Security Council in February 2011.

“We support discussions on resolving the standing differences between the two communities and we urge the two communities to develop a plan to overcome remaining differences before the Secretary General’s meeting with the two leaders at the end of January,” he said.

Following the ministers’ meeting, Alkalaj said: “We agreed to support each other’s candidacies in a number of multinational bodies which we are doing.”

He noted Cyprus had voted for Bosnia-Herzegovina to join the Security Council and also gave strong support for visa liberalisation for Bosnian citizens within the EU.

“Now citizens of Bosnia can travel freely toward the Schengen states, so we hope very soon to see large numbers of tourists here to enjoy your beautiful country,” said Alkalaj.

For his part, Kyprianou highlighted Bosnia’s inclusion as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council was “something that it is very important for us”. Referring to the Cyprus talks under UN auspices, he said: “For us it is very important that the Security Council remains engaged in this process”.

Kyprianou reiterated the government’s commitment to find a solution to the Cyprus problem that will maintain the territorial integrity and unity of the country.

“This principle of territorial integrity is something that both our countries feel very strongly about and support each other on,” he said.

“Cyprus fully supports Bosnia’s EU perspective and orientation,” said Kyprianou, adding, “we would like to see Bosnia a member of the EU as soon as possible”.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.