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Russia to back Cyrpus reunification talks

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MOSCOW, February 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will back reunification talks on Cyprus, one of the few countries that opposes unilateral independence for Kosovo, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"We will support the negotiating processes so that the parties can reach an agreement on how to implement the UN resolution and restore Cyprus' integrity, taking into account all parties' interests," Lavrov said.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkey's invasion of the island following a brief Greek-Cypriot inspired coup in 1974. The island's southern areas are controlled by the internationally- recognized Republic of Cyprus, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognized by Turkey alone, ruling in the north.

The minister said that Russia "speaks for the resolution of conflicts based on decisions made by the UN Security Council."

Commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin's earlier statement concerning double standards with regard to Kosovo and Cyprus, Lavrov said that, "President [Vladimir] Putin did not accuse anyone of anything, but only stated the existence of double standards."

During his final annual news conference as Russian president in mid-February, Putin said: "I don't want to offend anyone, but Northern Cyprus has been a de facto independent republic for 40 years. Why then don't you recognize it? Aren't you, Europeans, ashamed of applying double standards in solving identical problems in different parts of the world?"

Kosovo authorities unilaterally declared independence on February 17. The U.S., Australia, and several leading European countries, including France, Italy and Germany have so far recognized Kosovo, while Russia, China and Spain have condemned the move and refused to recognize the "world's newest state."

Lavrov also said that, "While the situation around Northern Cyprus is being resolved within the framework of international law, the issue of Kosovo is being dealt with in the opposite manner."

The minister said that the European Union's approval for the launch of a 1,800-strong civilian and police mission to Kosovo to replace the current UN mission was a violation of international law.

"We are told that Resolution 1244 is the basis for the launch of the EU mission, and that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence does not contradict the resolution, because it talks about a transitional period which is supposedly over," he said.

"This is not true. The resolution does stipulate provisions concerning the transitional period, but states that this period should last until the sides reach a negotiated settlement," Lavrov added.

Russia has repeatedly said that granting Kosovo sovereignty could serve as a precedent and trigger a chain reaction for secessionist regions throughout the world, including in Greece, Spain, Georgia, Moldova and Cyprus. However, countries supporting Kosovo's independence insist that the case is unique, and that there is no threat of the weakening of international law.

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