The situation in the buffer zone is “heading towards de-escalation”, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said on Tuesday after a meeting of nearly one hour with President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace, stressing that UNFICYP is working across its police, civilian and military components to preserve calm and support the political process on Cyprus.
Lacroix described his meeting with the President as ‘very useful and constructive’, saying they discussed the current situation against the backdrop of the political process and talks between the two sides, which he described as “very important”.
“The role of UNFICYP is to do everything possible so that calm will continue to prevail in the buffer zone,” he stressed.
He said he had visited Pyla earlier in the day and told the President that UNFICYP personnel continue to work tirelessly and in a very integrated manner “to promote de-escalation”. “I believe that the situation is heading towards de-escalation and we will do everything possible so that this direction of trouble will continue,” he noted.
Lacroix added that the recent incidents had underlined the importance of UNFICYP’s role and thanked the President for expressing his appreciation for the work of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus.
He also stressed that the presence of a neutral and impartial mission in the buffer zone is really important to maintaining calm and preserving the conditions needed for political talks to move forward.
Violations in the area of Pyla and other locations across the UN controlled buffer zone are frequent, with the latest incident, in April 2026, involving the deployment of military vehicles and personnel from the Turkish-occupied areas, aimed at blocking veterinary checks. This prompted the UN to stress that unauthorised entry, presence or activity within the buffer zone constitutes a violation of the UN Mission’s mandate.
Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 illegal Turkish invasion. Numerous peace talks under the UN aegis with the aim to reunite the island under a federal roof failed to yield results. The latest round of talks took place in the summer of 2017 in the Swiss resort of Crans Montana.