Of the seven Russians serving in the UNFICYP police contingent, three were awarded medals in 2024: Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Titlyanov and Majors Olga Glushchenko and Galina Loginova. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Cyprus, the head of UNFICYP, Colin Stewart, answering a question from a TASS correspondent, how satisfied he was with the service of Russian police officers in the ranks of peacekeepers, stated affirmatively: “Of course. They are very professionally trained and contribute a lot to our mission – a lot.”

A total of 69 police officers from 15 countries serve in the UNFICYP police contingent. Awards were presented at the ceremony to 24 police officers from 11 states. Addressing the medal recipients, Colin Stewart expressed gratitude to them both on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and on his own behalf for their invaluable contribution to the fulfillment of the tasks of the UN mission and for their commitment to the core values of the United Nations.

“The mission faced an exceptional situation in the buffer zone,” Stewart said. “As the UN, we needed to provide a variety of humanitarian assistance and protection to civilians, for which we had neither free resources nor a mandate. The UN and I personally are deeply grateful for the professionalism and flexibility that you have shown in dealing with these urgent situations,” the head of the peacekeepers said.

The ceremony honoring police officers serving in the ranks of UN peacekeepers in Cyprus was attended by heads of diplomatic missions from different countries, including the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Cyprus Murat Zyazikov, who, for his part, congratulated the awarded Russians and presented them with memorable gifts. He also talked with the guests of the ceremony, many of whom noted the role of Russia as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in ensuring Cypriot security. The high-ranking Russian diplomat also had a long conversation with Stewart about the prospects for resolving the Cyprus problem, about Guterres’ notable efforts in resolving crisis situations on the planet, including the results of the last meeting of the UN Secretary General with leaders of the Cypriot communities, as well as plans to open new checkpoints through the island’s buffer zone.

M.M.Zyazikov also had a meaningful conversation with Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Liu Yantao, who praised both the close cooperation between Moscow and Beijing and their diplomatic missions on the island, as well as the significant role played by the recently concluded BRICS summit in Kazan in shaping a multipolar world.

@rusembcy