VZCZCXRO3362
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHTRO RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0532/01 1462248
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 262248Z MAY 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6626
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000532 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNFICYP UNSC CY
SUBJECT: CYPRUS: SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULTATIONS ON UNFICYP 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Cyprus SRSG Taye-Brook Zerihoun told the Security 
Council on May 22 that the military situation in Cyprus is 
stable, and he reported an increase in restrictions imposed 
on UNFICYP's movements by Turkish forces in the north. 
Zerihoun noted a lack of public support for a settlement, as 
well as a lack of follow-through on implementation of 
confidence building measures (CBMs).  Turkish Permrep Ilkin 
encouraged greater UN involvement in the reunification 
negotiations.  He criticized a recent ruling by the European 
Court of Justice on property rights for "hindering progress" 
toward a settlement, and he suggested that UNFICYP might be 
better configured as a political mission.  He downplayed 
Turkish restrictions on UNFICYP movements.  Ambassador 
DiCarlo encouraged the UN to increase the pace of 
negotiations and echoed a call by the UK for a review of 
UNFICYP's force levels in the next SYG report. Russian 
Permrep Vitaly Churkin said the Council should not take any 
steps that would have a "negative impact" on the 
negotiations, and said he was more concerned with "quality" 
than "the schedule" in adopting a resolutions, and called on 
pen-holder U.K. to submit a resolution "that could be adopted 
rapidly".  France and China supported retention of UNFICYP 
for as long as the negotiations continued.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Special Representative of the Secretary-General 
(SRSG) Taye-Brook Zerihoun told the Security Council on May 
22 that the military situation in Cyprus is stable, with 
military personnel from both sides cooperating well with the 
UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).  He reported an 
increase in restrictions imposed on UNFICYP's moverments by 
Turkish forces in the north.  He noted that when the UN 
raised the issue with Turkish forces, the UN had been assured 
that they would cease.  "Unfortunately," he said, "the 
restrictions have continued."  On the reunification 
negotiations, Zerihoun said they were moving along "at a 
steady rhythm", noting that the two leaders had met three 
times since Special Advisor Downer's April 30 briefing to the 
Council.  Zerihoun said he was concerned about the lack of 
public support in both communities for the process, and for 
lack of follow-through on the part of the parties to 
implement confidence building measures that had been agreed 
by the leaders and technical committees.  He hoped that the 
leaders would become more active in explaining the benefits 
of a settlement to their people, preferably in a way that 
would show they were "visible partners, working together." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Turkish Permrep Baki Ilkin encouraged greater 
involvement by Special Advisor Downer. He emphasized that "we 
are not starting from scratch"-- referring to the body of UN 
work that had been created in previous negotiations.  Ilkin 
said he looked forward to a "new partnership" on the island, 
where "neither side would claim authority or jurisdiction 
over the other."  He urged the international community to 
"refrain from acts or decisions that prejudice the outcome" 
of negotiations, and he criticized a recent ruling by the 
European Court of Justice related to Greek Cypriot owned 
property in the north for "hindering progress".  On UNFICYP, 
Ilkin said the peacekeeping mission had "played a valuable 
role in the 60's and 70's", but he suggested that depending 
on progress in the talks, "it may need to be reconfigured 
into a political mission" and focus its efforts on reaching a 
comprehensive settlement.  Ilkin downplayed Turkish 
restrictions on UNFICYP movements in the north, saying they 
were related mainly to "social activities" of UNFICYP 
personnel.  He said that 43 incidents since January 1, 2009 
cited by the SYG's report were minimal compared with some 
180,000 crossings by UNFICYP personnel of the buffer zone 
since January 2008. 
 
¶4. (SBU) U.K. Permrep Sir John Sawers said there should be no 
hard deadlines for the completion of reunification 
negotiations, but the process "should not be open-ended, 
either."  He believed there was an "urgent need" to intensify 
the pace of the talks.  He welcomed the increasing frequency 
of meetings between the parties, and said it was important to 
finish the first reading of the negotiating chapters as soon 
as possible, in order to "give shape" to the overall 
agreement and "so real negotiations can begin."  Sawers 
called for the Secretary-General to begin contingency 
planning for a possible settlement, and suggested that the 
Council keep UNFICYP's operations under close review.  Sawers 
encouraged efforts to implement agreed-upon confidence 
building measures, including opening the Liminitis/Yesilirmak 
crossing.  He said the U.K. was engaged in consultations with 
interested parties on the elements of a draft resolution to 
extend UNFICYP, and that he hoped to table it early the 
following week with an eye to adopting it before the end of 
Russia's May presidency, as had been the Security Council's 
understanding with the two sides. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo recalled Mr. Downer's remarks to 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000532  002 OF 002 
 
 
the Council on April 30, in which he said it would be 
important for the Council to make clear that it has high 
expectations from the outcome of the settlement negotiations. 
 She acknowledged the sensitivity of the negotiations, 
including the recent difficulties over the opening of border 
crossings, but she encouraged the leaders and the UN to 
intensify the negotiations.  DiCarlo acknowledged the need 
for public support for an eventual settlement, underscoring 
the importance of the confidence building measures in 
building such support.  She echoed Sawers' call for the SYG 
to keep UNFICYP's operations under close review as he does in 
other peacekeeping operations, and she said the U.S. would 
welcome recommendations in the next report regarding 
adjustments in mandate, force levels, and concept of 
operations in light of developments on the ground and the 
views of the two sides. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Russian Permrep Vitaly Churkin said that UNFICYP 
played "a vitally important role" on the island, and he said 
the Council should not interfere with its mandate during the 
reunification negotiations. He also said the Council should 
not take any steps that would have a "negative impact" on the 
negotiations-- the Security Council's principle ought to be, 
"not undermining the process."  In reference to Sawers' call 
for a resolution to be adopted in May, Churkin said he was 
"more concerned with quality than the schedule".  Churkin, in 
turn, called on Sawers to "submit a resolution that could be 
adopted rapidly". 
 
¶7. (SBU) France and China both made clear they believed 
UNFICYP to be necessary for as long as the negotiations may 
last, and that the parties were in the best position to 
determine the pace.  Austria, Burkina Faso, Mexico, Japan, 
Costa Rica, Vietnam, Uganda, Libya and Croatia all supported 
extension of UNFICYP.  Most spoke in favor of continued 
implementation of confidence building measures, including 
opening of the Limnitis/Yesilirmak crossing and completion of 
phase 2 of the Ledra Street crossing.  Austria emphasized EU 
efforts in demining activities.  Mexico called for Turkey to 
avoid restrictions on UNFICYP mobility.  Croatia called for 
the mandate to be extended for six years, followed by a 
chorus of laughter and a correction-- six months. 
RICE