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- Ελληνικά
Everyone knows - both the foreign diplomatic missions in Cyprus and the international community in general - who is militarizing and who is constantly violating the buffer zone, President of the Republic Nicos Christodoulides said tonight.
In his remarks to journalists, coming to the graduation ceremony of the University of Nicosia, and asked to comment on statements made by Mr. Ersin Tatar after his meeting in London with the personal envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG) for Cyprus, Ms. Maria Angela Holguín, the President of the Republic said: "The meeting has taken place, we can expect to be officially informed. I did not expect to hear anything different from Mr Tatar, it is what he has been saying for a long time. So, I don't want to comment on repeated statements, let's wait to be officially informed and then we will take a position."
Asked to comment on statements by the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Cyprus Colin Steward on the demilitarization of the buffer zone, without naming the occupying forces, the President of the Republic said: "Over time, UN reports have tried to keep a balance. Everyone knows - both the foreign diplomatic missions that are here and the international community in general - who is militarizing and who is constantly violating the buffer zone."[/P STEWARD IS THE HEAD OF THE PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, IT IS VERY RECENTLY [THAT WE SAW] who the Turkish occupation army attacked."
In response to a reporter's remark that Mr. Steward today raised again the issue of irregular migrants in the buffer zone, President Christodoulides said: "The issue of immigration is not in Mr Steward's terms of reference. On the issue of migration we are in contact with the UN High Commissioner in Cyprus. The Republic of Cyprus has given many examples of how it approaches this issue in a purely humanitarian way. At the same time, we cannot allow the creation of a new route. Yes, it was discussed with Mr Steward, because for my part I raised the issue of the public statements made by the UN Spokesperson some time ago, saying that such statements are not helpful. If we want to resolve an issue we do not come out with these kinds of statements. And I felt the need - it was my first meeting with Mr. Steward since those statements - to raise the issue. The substance of the issue was not discussed, it is not within Mr. Steward's purview."
(PM/EP/NYAN)
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