UNSG closely watching EEZ developments ‘with concern’

The UN Secretary-General is closely monitoring the developments in Cyprus’ EEZ with concern, his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq has said.

Haq made the statement when asked to respond to comments by Foreign Minister Nicos Chistodoulides where he criticised the UN for not doing more regarding the illegal activities of Turkey in Cyprus’ EEZ.

Repeating a statement made on  May 6, 2019, Haq recalled the UNSG’s position which, he said, has not changed. “Offshore hydrocarbons have the potential to benefit both communities in Cyprus,” he added.

He noted that the Secretary-General recalled that two Cyprus leaders  had previously agreed in negotiations that natural resources in a unified Cyprus would lie within the competence of the future federal government.

“The SG is monitoring the developments closely with concern,” Haq said.

On January 18, Turkey sent the drillship ‘Yavuz’ to EEZ block 8, which is licensed to the ENI – Total consortium for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation activities.

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.