Of Cyprus Criticism of Ban Ki-moon's Report, UN Says Didn't Want to Inflame

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 26 -- Ten days after Inner City Press asked the UN Spokesman to respond to Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades being “angry because UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon failed to take a stance over  violations of Cyprus' exclusive economic zone," it was able to put the same question to envoy Espen Barthe Eide and UN mission chief Lisa Buttenheim.

  It was Buttenheim who answered, saying that the UN does not want to inflame things with language in its report. Then Espen Barth Eide was asked directly, by a Greek journalists, why do you not blame Turkey? He answered that it all depends from how far back you look at a problem.

  He spoke next to what at the UN is called teh Turkish Lounge, an area just outside the Security Council where journalists used to be allowed to work, but no longer. This is the trend at the UN, now opposed by the new Free UN Coalition for Access.

 Back on January 16, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Anastasiades' critique. Dujarric replied, "In many cases reports of the Secretary General elicit reactions from one side or another, there is no reason for us to comment on the reactions the the Secretary General's report." Video here.

  Back during the September 2014 UN General Debate, Inner City Press asked by Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu if hydrocarbons could help or hurt their negotiations.

  Anastasiades was upbeat about the chances, when he answered Inner City Press. Video here.

  Then on Saturday, September 30 at the General Assembly stakeout while UN official Herve Ladsous created a circus next to the stakeout,Vine here, Inner City Press asked Eroglu the same question about hydrocarbons. He was downbeat, saying that they might make Greek Cypriots more intransigent. Video here.

  Now, a development. While Italy's ENI started drilling, the Greek Cypriot were informed of competing seismic tests in the same area, at least until the end of the year.

  Now the Greek Cypriot side has pulled out of talks that were to take place October 9 between Anastasiades and Eroglu. One question is, whose to blame? Another is, why didn't the UN and its new envoy Epsen Barth Eide see this coming? What will they do now? We'll have more on this.

   

Of Cyprus Criticism of Ban Ki-moon's Report, His Spokesperson Tells Inner City Press Ban Has No Comment (Video)

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 16 -- With Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades “angry because UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon failed to take a stance over  violations of Cyprus' exclusive economic zone," what is Ban's response? No comment.

 On January 16, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Anastasiades' critique. Dujarric replied, "In many cases reports of the Secretary General elicit reactions from one side or another, there is no reason for us to comment on the reactions the the Secretary General's report." Video here.

  Back during the September 2014 UN General Debate, Inner City Press asked by Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu if hydrocarbons could help or hurt their negotiations.

  Anastasiades was upbeat about the chances, when he answered Inner City Press. Video here.

  Then on Saturday, September 30 at the General Assembly stakeout while UN official Herve Ladsous created a circus next to the stakeout,Vine here, Inner City Press asked Eroglu the same question about hydrocarbons. He was downbeat, saying that they might make Greek Cypriots more intransigent. Video here.

  Now, a development. While Italy's ENI started drilling, the Greek Cypriot were informed of competing seismic tests in the same area, at least until the end of the year.

  Now the Greek Cypriot side has pulled out of talks that were to take place October 9 between Anastasiades and Eroglu. One question is, whose to blame? Another is, why didn't the UN and its new envoy Epsen Barth Eide see this coming? What will they do now? We'll have more on this.

   

Turkish Cypriot Dervis Eroglu Derides Varosha / Famagusta Proposal as Diversion from Cyprus' IMF Bail-In, Won't Grade Downer

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 28 -- After meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday afternoon, Dervis Eroglu spoke at the UN stakeout, then across the street at the Turkish Center.

In the UN, he was referred to as "Turkish Cypriot leader." Across the street, he was "President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."

Inner City Press asked Eroglu about the proposal by Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades for what he called the "ghost city of Famagusta."

Eroglu's response, calling it Varosha, was that Anastasiades had jumped the gun.

Inner City Press asked Eroglu what impact he thought Cyprus' financial crisis and bail-in had on the dispute under negotiation now for 45 years. Eroglu said that Anastasiades' Varosha proposal was meat to divert the Greek Cypriots from the real problems. He confirmed that his side played no role in talks with the IMF.

As in previous years, Inner City Press asked Eroglu to review and grade the performance of UN "good offices" envoy Alexander Downer, who in this year made moves to head a political party in Australia. Eroglu offered no grade. And that may say it all. Watch this site.

   

At UN, Cyprus Anastasiades Floats Famagusta Plan, ICP Asks on Central Bank & IMF, Thanks for Journos, But...

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 26 -- When Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades took questions at the UN on Thursday, Inner City Press asked him about his dispute with country's Central Bank chief, and if his speech had been coordinated in any way with Turkey, since it was so upbeat. Video here, from Minute 6:13.

Anastasiades said while he tries not to speak about things in Cyprus when he is out of the country, he respects its constitution and the rules and regulations of the Euro system and of the ECB.

On Cyprus we try to open new avenues, he said, "I have a vision to see that my country is going to be reunited... we are not ignoring the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

On Famagusta, he said we are in the process of negotiating: for the port to be open, under EU, Turkey to open airports and ports to ships and planes with Cyprus [flags], then Cyprus would raise veto [threat] on accession process of Turkey.

It was an interesting press conference. Inner City Press got the first question, but instead of thanking Anastasiades on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access (which it does when the old UN Correspondents Association insists on pretending it represents all journalists at the UN), thanks was given for "the journalists here."

That's how it should and could be done. But later on Thursday, not only did UNCA's 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBS re-appear for the UNFCCC -- a person who lost election for the UNCA board again insisted on getting the first question at an ICC press conference. This means: first questions for sale. UNreal. Watch this site.

   

Can UN's Cyprus Envoy Alexander Downer Also Head Australian Political Party? No UN Conflict of Interest Rules At All?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 – Cyprus was the topic of the UN Security Council on Monday morning; afterward the head of the UN Mission there said support was expressed for more dinners of the kind hosted after some controversy by envoy Alexander Downer on May 30 between presidents Anastasiades and Eroglu.

  Call it dinner diplomacy, then. But what about conflicts of interest? When July's Council president Rosemary DiCarlo of the US came out, Inner City Press asked her if it is acceptable for Downer to continue as UN envoy while running for the presidency of the South Australian Liberal Party.

At Monday's noon briefing, Inner City Press had planned to ask the same question to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky – but Nesirky abruptly ended the briefing after a Press question about the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Geneva Conventions, declaring it the “last question.”

  Ambassador DiCarlo said to ask Downer about his plans, she hadn't heard of them, which is fair – the Secretariat should be policing this. Downer has been quoted, “"Steven Marshall approached me . . . and I told him I'd be happy to do it.”

  Ban's Secretariat has allowed its envoy on the SahelRomano Prodi to run for office in Italy while remaining a UN official; Resolution 1540 envoy Terje Roed-Larsen also runs the International Peace Institute, which opened an office in Manama with money from the government (that is, Royal family) of Bahrain.

  As Inner City Press exclusively probed and reported on, Downer was allowed to work in an advisory firm, Bespoke Approach, while serving as UN Cyprus envoy.

  But to be the president of a political party while representing the UN on Cyprus? Watch this site.