The Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the illegal visit of American congressman, Pete Sessions to the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus noting it was a conscious decision by the congressman himself, which is against the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and obviously serving other purposes.
In a press release, the Ministry referred to the “illegal visit” which is “condemned for what it is: a violation of international law and deviation from the official position of the United States”.
It emphasized that “clearly, the aforementioned illegal visit is a conscious decision by the congressman himself, which challenges the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and obviously serves other purposes, such as attempting to create impressions. In the case of Mr. Sessions, unlike others, prevention was not possible precisely due to his historical relations with Turkey.”
The Republic of Cyprus, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is in direct and close communication with the United States on this matter, guided by their long-standing cooperation, which is based, among other things, on the official position of the U.S. authorities on the Cyprus issue, which remains unchanged and in line with international law.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
CNA/EC/GV/2023
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY