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.

   

On Cyprus, As UN Unaware of Plan for 200,000 Syria Refugees, Play for IMF Loans?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 10 -- After the UN Security Council's low key Cyprus session Tuesday morning, Inner City Press asked UN envoy Lisa Buttenheim two questions, about Cyprus' moves to explore natural resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone, and plans for up to 200,000 refugees from Syria.

  Buttenheim said there is a danger of inflammatory rhetoric about resources, while acknowledging that Cyprus has the right to explore in its "E. E. Zed." Of the Syria refugee plans she said "I have not heard that myself." 

  She said Cyprus is the "primary safe haven" for nine countries, noting that she is the UN's "designated official" and worked for example on the evacuation of UN families from Egypt in February 2011.

  But Cyprus' former UN ambassador Andreas Mavroyiannis told numerous media in Nicosia, "We do not know what will happen in Syria, but in our planning we have estimated up to 200,000 refugees could arrive... It will be a very big strain on us if it happens, so we will need help for sure."

  Cynics say this could be a play for loans not only from Russia -- note that as Inner City Press reported last week Cyprus abstained from the General Assembly resolution on the rights of Georgian IDPs to return to Abkhazia and South Ossentia -- but also from the IMF. 

 The IMF has a briefing on July 12 -- which is when "good offices" man Alexander Downer arrives in New York, ostensibly to meet new Department of Political Affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman. Will he like Italy issue a press release? Watch this site.