“We believe that this an important step to promote mutual trust between the two communities and give them fresh impetus to move the negotiations forward with a view to reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem and reuniting the divided island,” said Ambassador Bui The Giang, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations.

In his speech at a UN Security Council’s consultation meeting on Cyprus in New York on Dec. 9, Ambassador Giang acknowledged certain tangible results in maintaining regular meetings between political party leaders and representatives of both communities on many key issues and the establishment of economic, social, cultural and sport contacts between the sides.

He said that these moves should be encouraged and further enhanced in substantive ways that promote the implementation of confidence-building measures and the second phase of restoring buildings at the Ledra Street crossing.

The Vietnamese diplomat called upon the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to continue to show their flexibility and engage in full-fledged negotiations in a constructive and open manner, for this is central to the reunification process in Cyprus and to the achievement of the common objective of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with political equality in a united Cyprus.

Ambassador Giang also commended the enduring efforts undertaken by the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in maintaining stability in the buffer zone and its vital role in cultivating the reunification process.