French, British, and Russian warnings over Turkish “reopening” of Varosha, Cyprus

NICOSIA — Following the U.S. and European condemnation of Turkey’s repeated undermining of the peace process in Cyprus — the most recent incident being the “reopening” of the abandoned beachfront town of Varosha — French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a statement on Wednesday, declared that he discussed the matter his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides and confirmed that he would raise this issue at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed London’s concern about the Turkish announcement. He stated via Twitter that the move contradicts UNSC resolutions and undermines the settlement process in Cyprus. He also confirmed his country’s emergency consultations on this issue with the rest of the UNSC member states.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had a call with his Cypriot counterpart during which he stressed the need for strict implementation of UNSC resolutions which stipulate the formation of a union between the two parts of the island of Cyprus through direct negotiations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Lavrov pointed to the need to refrain from any steps that would destabilize the situation and create additional obstacles in finding a solution to the nearly half a century old Cyprus problem.