Sri Lanka to open Consulate in Cyprus

Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera has recently announced his government’s decision to open a General Consulate in Cyprus. The announcement was made during the presentation of the credentials of Cyprus‘ High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, based in New Delhi, India, Andreas Zinonos to the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakse.

According to an official press release, Zinonos welcomed the decision, noting that this will help to further strengthening and developing relations between the two countries.

He added that this was the wish of President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos and the Cypriot government, and assured that he would personally work in this direction.

Rajapakse expressed his wish for a solution of the Cyprus problem, which would be viable and functional, and would be based on UN resolutions.

Presenting his credentials, Zinonos referred to the excellent relations between the two countries and their historical bonds.

He had the opportunity to brief Rajapakse on the situation in Cyprus and its political problem, noting that, although Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, it continues to remain divided due to the Turkish invasion and the negative and intransigent policy of Turkey on the Cyprus problem.

Zinonos referred to an agreement reached on July 8 and expressed the will of President Papadopoulos and the government to reach a bizonal bicommunal federation solution, based on UN resolutions, international law and the principles, laws and regulations of the EU.

During his stay in Colombo, Zinonos also met with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Ministry officials.

Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on 8 July 2006, during a meeting in the presence of UN Undersecretary General for political affairs Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Following the agreement, senior aides of the two leaders in Cyprus, Tasos Tzionis and Rasit Pertev, began meetings in the office of the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus Michael Moller in the UN-controlled buffer zone to work out the modalities for the implementation of the July agreement.