LOCAL POLITICIANS rounded up on UN and EU officials yesterday over comments reportedly questioning Cyprus’ sovereign right to explore and exploit its natural resources.
Drawing most of the fire was seasoned diplomat, UN Special Adviser Alexander Downer for comments made on Tuesday regarding a possible mediation role for the UN over the oil and gas dispute should both sides request it.
Also under the spotlight was EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule who said on Tuesday: “All problems need to be solved through peaceful means, if needed through arbitration from the International Court of Justice and threats of use of force need to be rejected”.
Asked by a reporter whether the UN was offering to mediate in any way, Downer said: “If the two sides came together and asked us to play some sort of mediating role the Secretary-General would have a look at that and we’d discuss it and look at what we could do. But the two sides would have to come to us; we’re not trying to impose ourselves on them.”
His statement was not well received by a number of media organisations and public figures.
House President Yiannakis Omirou said yesterday: “Downer’s statement on mediation exceeded the terms of his mandate, which relate solely to the direct negotiations. Not to issues of sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus.”
Omirou said Downer’s statement raised questions relating to his objectivity and impartiality as well as his credibility to act as a representative of the UN.
The usually restrained opposition DISY leader Nicos Anastassiades said Downer’s statements were “unacceptable”.
“I can only say that the confidence of the people, of a community is undermined when they hear from the representative or envoy of the Secretary-General such proposals, interventions which generate at the same time doubt as to whether they themselves bring into question the sovereign rights of Cyprus.”
He advised the UN Special Adviser to “focus on the work within his mandate” and not try to raise doubts over UN resolutions which make absolutely clear that no one can dispute the sovereignty of a full member state of the UN, like Cyprus.
DIKO leader Marios Garoyian also waded in, saying: “It is not his job or within his competences to deal with this specific issue…He doesn’t have a say.”
EDEK spokesman Demetris Papadakis described Downer’s comments as an “intolerable challenge”, saying his behaviour was no longer acceptable.
Ruling AKEL spokesman Giorgos Loucaides said Downer’s comments were wrong and went beyond his mandate.
Asked to comment, government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Cyprus’ sovereign right to explore for natural gas was not the subject of negotiation. “It’s clear. It’s a sovereign right.”
He highlighted that Downer’s role is that of a facilitator, not mediator, calling on everyone to stick to their roles.
Speaking after a meeting with President Demetris Christofias yesterday at the presidential palace, Downer tried to set the record straight: “I have looked at what has been said by people in the media (yesterday). I would say that doesn’t reflect what I said but I spoke in English so I am being generous in saying, if people wish to reinterpret what I say, perhaps it’s a linguistic break down and we are happy to get a translation done.”
The Australian diplomat also announced tentative dates for the tripartite meeting in New York next month as being October 30 and 31.
“Just to avoid any further speculations about this, one possibility is we might devote a couple of days to the talks,” he added.
Regarding Fule’s comments about going to arbitration, Stefanou said: “The specific issue is not a dispute between the Cyprus Republic and Turkey, it is a question of conflict between Turkey and international law.”
AKEL’s Loucaides noted Fule ignores the fact that Turkey does not recognise the Cyprus Republic or the International Court.
Garoyian questioned whether EU solidarity and the protection of an EU member state’s sovereign rights were present, while Papadakis found Fule’s comments also unacceptable.
