The Russian Foreign Ministry criticized Britain's actions in Cyprus

During the weekly briefing, Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized Britain's actions in Cyprus.

Russia is ready to assist in achieving a compromise on the Cyprus settlement in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

Maria Zakharova mentioned this in response to a question about the 65th anniversary of the signing of agreements guaranteeing the independence of the Republic of Cyprus.

"On February 11 and 19, 1959, the Zurich-London agreements were concluded between England, Greece, Turkey, and the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus. They led to the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus in August 1960, the independence of which, however, was severely restricted from the very beginning," reminded the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

According to Maria Zakharova, the guarantors of the new state were London, Athens, and Ankara, which received opportunities to intervene in its internal affairs. After the agreements were concluded, Greek and Turkish military contingents remained on the island. At the same time, Britain retained sovereign military bases on the island - two areas totaling 99 square miles (256 square kilometers), as well as several other facilities.

"The agreements that formed the basis of the Cyprus Constitution already contained a dangerous conflict potential in their genesis, which dramatically manifested itself in the bloody intercommunal clashes in December 1963 and in the subsequent period, and in 1974 led to the tragic division of the island," emphasized Maria Zakharova.

In the opinion of the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Britain's aggressive actions in Cyprus "undermine regional stability, fuel tension on the island and around it, and do not contribute to the settlement of the long-standing Cyprus problem."

"Throughout the decolonization process, our country supported the just demands of the Cypriots for self-determination. The USSR repeatedly pointed out that the British authorities, by imposing a plan to resolve the Cyprus issue, were actually seeking not to help, but to cement their dominance in the new historical conditions, sow seeds of discord and enmity between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities," emphasized Maria Zakharova.

The statement also notes that the Russian Federation, as a responsible member of the international community and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, firmly and consistently adheres to the principle that a compromise on the Cyprus settlement should be achieved, as provided for by the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, through voluntary negotiations between the Cypriot communities, with mandatory careful consideration of their legitimate concerns and interests, without external pressure and timetables.

"We, for our part, are sincerely and fundamentally ready to assist in this work," summarized Maria Zakharova.