Cypriot House committee examines bills providing facilities to UNIFIL

Cypriot House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee discussed on Wednesday five bills for the ratification of the separate agreements concluded by the Republic of Cyprus with the governments of Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, which participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Addressing the committee, Head of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs EU Common Foreign and Security Policy Division, Pantias Eliades said that these agreements were made for the implementation of Cyprus‘ decision to facilitate the deployment of UNIFIL’s force in Lebanon by making available its infrastructure and other facilities to the states participating in UNIFIL.
According to Eliades, these arrangements and the terms of the agreements provide for granting accommodation to UNIFIL staff during their entry and use of the Republic of Cyprus territory, including Cyprus‘ air space and territorial waters from aircraft and ships which operate under UNFIL’s mandate.
Replying to questions by the members of the Committee, Eliades said that these agreements have been approved by the Cabinet on 22 November 2006 after the exchange of note verbale between the Cypriot Foreign Minister Giorgos Lillikas and the Ambassadors of these countries in Cyprus.
”The members of UNIFIL coming from these states shall enjoy the necessary freedom of movement in the sovereign territory of Cyprus with a view to fulfilling their duties,” Eliades said, adding that the same applied for aircrafts and ships under the UNIFIL flag.
Eliades said that UNIFIL consists of 13,000 persons and a total of 19 ships, of which 17 are parking in Cypriot ports and carry out patrols along the Lebanese shores.
The ships mainly use Limassol port and occasionally that of Larnaca, while UNIFIL’s aircrafts use Larnaca and Paphos airports as well as the ”Andreas Papandreou” military base. Eliades also said that Germany, which has the largest contingent in UNIFIL with 1.500 soldiers also utilises land facilities.
The parliamentary Committee, noting Cyprus‘ positive image created internationally for its assistance in the Lebanon crisis last summer, will study the agreements and give its final positions so that the bills will be tabled before the House plenary.