Eurasia Press & News
Cyprus said on Friday that it has approved the establishment of a support base on the Mediterranean island for chemical weapons inspectors deployed in war-hit Syria.
“The Council of Ministers has ratified the agreement between the Republic of Cyprus and the UN-OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) for the establishment of a support base of the joint mission of UN-OPCW,” said a government statement.
Cyprus said it would facilitate the “safe presence and conduct of the activities of the joint mission”.
A support base has been created within the UN-controlled buffer zone at Nicosia’s disused airport from where inspectors will travel to and from Syria, some 220 kilometres (140 miles) away.
“The decision by the United Nations for the establishment of a support base of the mission in Cyprus demonstrates the stabilising and upgraded role of Cyprus in the region,” said the statement.
