UN Cyprus plan failed to heed the sides' opinions

The plan of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on the Cyprus settlement did not take into account the opinions of the sides concerned, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Monday.

"Mr. Annan's plan has not been approved. We are sorry that this plan did not heed the opinions of the two sides, though the fundamental resolution envisaged the need to complete this plan with due account for the two Cypriote sides' opinions," said Mr. Lavrov.

According to the foreign minister, Moscow believes that the attempts to approve this plan in the UN Security Council were unjustified in view of this factor.

The Russian foreign minister emphasised that Moscow was still hopeful that the positive achievements on the Cyprus issue would be maintained, and that the goodwill mission initiated by Kofi Annan a few years ago would be continued to find a new solution to be supported by both Cypriote sides.

Mr. Lavrov believes that the referendum held on Cyprus on Saturday reflected the will of the Cypriote peoples.