"Russia has supported the resolution and is going to continue taking efforts aimed at creation of favourable conditions for promoting a viable and lasting settlement of the Cyprus problem by way of a voluntary accord between the conflicting parties on the basis of the appropriate UN resolutions on Cyprus," the statement reads.
A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that while keeping the current nature of the UN peacekeeping operation in Cyprus, the UN Security Council nevertheless supported the UN Secretary General's recommendations aimed at optimizing its concept and composition.
"It was decided to downsize the military component of the operation by 30 percent, cutting back the UN armed personnel to 860 people. At the same time, their mobility and operational capability will be substantially upgraded. It is also planned to increase the number of UN military observers and liaison officers on the island to facilitate confidence building efforts and strengthen trust between the conflicting parties. The resolution also envisages an increase in the number of UN civil and political advisors," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson pointed out.
