31/01/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 31 January, the United Nations Security Council unanimously extended the mission of the Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) by six months. In the adopted Resolution 2453, the members of the Security Council called on all parties to renew their commitment to the creation of a federal state, stressing that the current status quo is unsustainable. They also call for the implementation of confidence-building measures. No new round of negotiations regarding the reunification of the island is currently planned (see EUROPE 12157). In its press release, the United Nations recalled that, while the situation along the ceasefire lines remains stable, the opposing forces on both sides remain heavily armed and tension between them, albeit at a low level, is "always present". (CG)