Cyprus can help rid Syria of chemical weapons and search for its missing, Cypriot top diplomat says

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus stands ready to help eliminate Syria’s remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and to support a search for people whose fate remains unknown after more than a decade of war, the top Cypriot diplomat said Saturday. Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said Cyprus’ offer is grounded on its own past experience both with helping rid Syria of chemical weapons 11 years ago and its own ongoing, decades-old search for hundreds of people who disappeared amid fighting between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots in the 1960s and a 1974 Turkish invasion. Kombos said there are “profound concerns” among his counterparts across the region over Syria’s future security, especially regarding a possible resurgence of extremist groups like Islamic State in a fragmented and polarized society. Other challenges include new migratory flows from the country as well as ensuring the safety and rights of women and minorities including Druze, Christians, Jews and Kurds, so that the “rich mosaic of Syria is preserved.” “This is particularly critical in light of potential social and demographic engineering disguised as “security” arrangements, which could further destabilize the country,” Kombos said.