UN weapons inspection office to continue operation in Cyprus

The office of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) will continue operation in Cyprus, the semi-official Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported on Tuesday.

The CNA quoted government spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides as saying that the cabinet made the decision on Monday at the UN request, which is aimed at facilitating the UN's inspection of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and promoting Cyprus' regional role.

UNMOVIC, established in 1999 according to the UN Resolution 1284, replaced the UN Special Commission Supervising the Destruction of Iraq's Chemical, Biological and Nuclear Weapons ( UNSCOM).

UNMOVIC is tasked with verifying the destruction of Iraq's biological and chemical weapons and ballistic missiles. It is entitled to unfettered and snap inspection of any sites, facilities, documents and transporting vehicles under suspicion, and it can also contact any Iraqi.

UNMOVIC withdrew from Iraq shortly before the US-led war on Iraq began in March 2003, and its inspectors were prevented from returning by the United States after the war.

The United States launched the war on Iraq mainly on the pretext that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, but long after the war was declared over, no hard evidence has been found hitherto.

With its future pending decision of the UN Security Council, UNMOVIC keeps monitoring the weapons sites in Iraq sealed by UN inspectors before the war.

UNMOVIC office in Cyprus began operation in October 2002 under an agreement between Cyprus, the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog.

UNMOVIC office, manned by five staff, is anticipating a UN Security Council decision on the issue of inspections of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

The UN and IAEA intend to maintain the office in Cyprus until the issue is resolved.

Source: Xinhua