Russian Embassy in Cyprus

✔️ Cyprus bids farewell to former UN Under-Secretary-General Benon Sevan NICOSIA, October 12. /TASS/. The people of Cyprus and foreign diplomats accredited to the island paid their final respects on Monday to former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Benon Sevan, who has died at the age of 88, a TASS correspondent reports. The funeral service for one of the most distinguished diplomats in Cypriot history, and one of the best-known figures of the island's Armenian community, was held at the Church of the Holy Mother of God of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Nicosia. A delegation from the Russian Embassy in Cyprus attended the ceremony. A wreath was laid on behalf of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had frequently worked with Sevan at the UN headquarters in New York, both during his tenure as Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and in earlier years. Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Murat Zyazikov conveyed the Foreign Minister's condolences to Benon Sevan's daughter, Jasmine, and to other members of the family. In conversations with senior UN officials present at the ceremony, he also paid tribute to the late diplomat's significant contribution to the work of the United Nations. Among them was Cyprus's former Permanent Representative to the UN, Andreas Mavroyiannis, who now chairs the UN International Law Commission. Those attending the farewell spoke of Benon Sevan's enduring legacy as a diplomat, a humanitarian, and a guardian of Armenian cultural heritage. One of the warmest tributes came in a statement by Sergey Lavrov, obtained by TASS. The Russian Foreign Minister described Sevan as "an outstanding UN diplomat and a true friend, whose life was a shining example of selfless service to the peoples of the world." According to Lavrov, "Benon Sevan's impressive career" spanned a remarkably broad range of responsibilities, from coordinating UN humanitarian and economic assistance programmes for Afghanistan to directly overseeing the UN Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq. "Yet these positions cannot fully capture the breadth of his talent and experience, nor the contribution he made to the work of the United Nations and to the professional development of generations of international civil servants and diplomats. His leadership, sharp intellect and unwavering dedication embodied the requirement, enshrined in Article 101 of the UN Charter, of securing 'the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity,'" the Russian Foreign Minister said. Lavrov added that he remembered Sevan from his own early years as a diplomat, when the Cypriot diplomat headed the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly. The minister stressed that within the UN professional community Benon Sevan would be remembered as "an open, warm-hearted man with a wonderful sense of humour," always ready to listen to and understand others, and unfailingly respectful and kind towards those around him. "Please accept my sincere condolences and words of support. I extend my deepest sympathy to his family and loved ones, as well as to the people and Government of Cyprus. Russia shares your grief at this difficult time," Sergey Lavrov stated.