Security Council ready to help implement Cyprus plan if it is approved - President

Members of the United Nations Security Council today said they were ready to help Cyprus implement a plan to reunify the island nation ahead of its entry into the European Union on 1 May should the referendums on that blueprint be approved next week.

German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger, Council President for April, told reporters that should Cypriots approve the plan on 24 April, Council members stood ready "to take further actions as provided for in the plan, including by establishing a new UN operation in support of its swift and full implementation by all parties."

They would also be committed to helping ensure that the parties fully meet their commitments under the settlement, Ambassador Pleuger said.

Both Greek Cypriot leader Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash have voiced their opposition to the plan, which was finalized last month by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and would create a Greek Cypriot state and a Turkish Cypriot state linked by a federal government.

Ambassador Pleuger also said Council members welcomed the results of yesterday's preparatory International Donors Conference for Cyprus in Brussels to organize financial support to cover costs linked to a possible political settlement to the Cyprus question.

"The members of the Council recognize the commitments of the donors as a demonstration of their willingness to provide the necessary financial resources" to implement the Secretary-General's settlement plan should it be approved, he added.

Video of Council President's remarks [08mins]