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NICOSIA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Cyprus on Friday refuted a Russian statement about persistent attempts by "Western partners" to speed up the negotiations aimed at a solution reunifying the divided eastern Mediterranean island.
"There has been neither pressure on Cyprus nor has anybody sought to interfere on the substance of the negotiations," Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides told state radio when asked to comment on the Russian statement.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier been reported as stating that "Western partners' persistent attempts to speed up negotiations on the Cyprus issue and push for a solution at all costs are unacceptable."
She also said "the failure of the Annan Plan for Cyprus is evidence of the destructiveness of external pressure," in referring to a United Nations drafted plan in 2004 that was rejected by Greek Cypriots in a referendum.
While Kasoulides denied the Russian view, he did say some statements for a solution this year and a solicitude for a solution to the Cyprus problem may have been interpreted by Moscow as an insisting pressure on Cyprus.
"What is useful in the statement of the Russian foreign ministry is a warning to avoid exerting pressure," said Kasoulides.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is scheduled to meet Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akincin on Sept. 25 in New York, said a solution by the end of 2016 was possible and committed himself to working to achieve this.
The leaders of both the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus have said that after four decades of negotiations they are close to a solution by the end of this year, provided they can overcome difficulties in agreeing on security arrangements and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus.
Turkey has retained about 43,000 soldiers on the northern one third of Cyprus which it occupied in 1974 as a reaction to a coup by the military rulers of Greece at the time.
The Cyprus problem has repeatedly brought Greece and Turkey to the brink of war and has also held back Turkey's aspirations to join the European Union (EU).
Cyprus's chief negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis told the state radio that the full withdrawal of Turkish troops from the island is non-negotiable.
Cyprus also wants guarantees of its sovereignty by Turkey, Greece and Britain under the treaty it was established as an independent country in 1960 to be abrogated for good. Enditem
