Nicosia, Cyprus. Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos will visit Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan this week after accompanying President Nikos Christodoulides on a three-day trip to Kazakhstan.
Kombos said the aim of his tour in Central Asia is to strengthen bilateral relations and expand Cyprus’ cooperation with a region of growing geostrategic importance.
Central Asia outreach
Kombos said his visit is focused on deepening bilateral ties with Central Asian countries and broadening cooperation between Cyprus and the region.
All four states, alongside Turkmenistan, signed a joint declaration with the European Union last year precluding any recognition of the north as an independent country. The declaration came at a time when the Turkish Cypriot side, led by Ersin Tatar, was advocating for a two-state solution to the Cyprus problem.
Reference to UN resolutions
The joint declaration stated that all five countries “reaffirmed our strong commitment” to United Nations Security Council resolutions 541 and 550.
Resolution 541 said the Security Council “deplores the declaration of the Turkish Cypriot authorities of the purported secession of part of the Republic of Cyprus” and called on UN member states not to recognise the north.
Resolution 550 said it “reiterates the call upon all states not to recognise the purported state of the ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’, set up by secessionist acts, and calls upon them not to facilitate or in any way assist the aforesaid secessionist entity”.
Reaction in Turkey
The joint declaration drew criticism from Turkey’s opposition. Ozgur Ozel, the then leader of the CHP who was last month removed from that role by a court ruling, said the signing of the declaration was evidence of a “collapse” of the country’s foreign policy.
He also said the status of Cyprus was a key part of a deal brokered by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and United States President Donald Trump to allow the arrest of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March last year.
Turkish Parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus said shortly after the signing of the joint declaration that the four Turkic states which signed it — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — were expected to “make up for it”.