Russian and Commonwealth envoys soon

GOVERNMENT Spokesman Manolis Christofides yesterday welcomed Russian and Commonwealth intentions to appoint special envoys on Cyprus.

In his daily press briefing, he said the government “attached special importance” to the fact that Russian President Boris Yeltsin felt the Cyprus problem was of a high enough priority to appoint a special emissary. He also expressed gratitude to the Commonwealth for its initiatives, calling the organisation “a great family of nations and states.”

The Commonwealth decision was announced on Sunday by Secretary General Chief Emeka Anyaoku. Speaking on BBC World Service Question Time, Anyaoku said the role of such a representative would be to convey the Commonwealth’s feelings on the Cyprus problem and to “possibly touch base” with the parties directly involved.

Anyaoku added that any such representative would be present at future rounds of the UN-sponsored peace talks which, he said, the Commonwealth supported. He also noted that a Commonwealth Action Group on Cyprus set up in 1983 was still in existence, but was now taking a back seat to UN involvements. “The scene for action” on the Cyprus problem, he said, has “moved decisively” to the UN.

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.