Cyprus voted for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination after the resolution was presented to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The resolution, proposed by Armenia, China, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Norway, Russia and Vietnam, was adopted by 164 votes in favor, 8 against and 9 abstained.
Along with a statement confirming “the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine,” the document calls on “all States, specialized agencies and UN organizations to continue to support the Palestinian people and help them realize their right to self-determination as soon as possible.”
Argentina, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay and the United States voted against the resolution.
Cyprus first recognized the State of Palestine in 1988, shortly after its official declaration of independence on November 15 of that year.
In 2012, Cyprus voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution that granted the State of Palestine observer status at the UN. After the adoption of this resolution, Cyprus upgraded the status of the Palestinian delegation in Nicosia to the level of a full-fledged embassy.
Cyprus’ official position on the issue of Israel and Palestine is that it “supports a comprehensive and final two-State solution along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent and viable Palestinian State.”
More recently, the island has been trying to position itself as a “bridge of cooperation between international partners,” as described by Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos. Cyprus participated in the October summit in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh to discuss the future of Gaza.
There, President Nicos Christodoulides said he had presented “six initiatives that the Republic of Cyprus can implement,” based on Trump’s 20-point plan for the future of Gaza.
Sources in the Government of Cyprus told Cyprus Mail that the six initiatives relate to three topics: security, humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. They were presented in the form of a letter to the European Union and the United Nations in Sharm el-Sheikh, copies were also distributed to other participants of the summit.
The letter talked about how Cyprus could “use its geographical location” to promote the future of Gaza, “as we have done through the Amalthea initiative,” Cyprus’ maritime humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza.
“There are no details right now, as they will depend on how and when we are needed and how the peace plan is implemented. Based on the plan and its implementation, details will appear later,” they said.
“We are essentially saying, ‘Whatever help you need, we are here to use our geographical location and the fact that we are accepted by Israel, Palestine, and the Arab states to offer what we can to help.’
Earlier, Christodoulides said he wanted “Cypriot companies to play a role in the reconstruction of Gaza.”
Kombos said last month that Cyprus “maintains a strategic relationship with Israel that covers issues of mutual interest, especially in the energy, defense and trade sectors.”
https://russiancyprus.news/news/society/cyprus-votes-in-favour-of-palestinian-right-to-self-determination-at-un/
