Europe

Europe

Cyprus FM formally resigns over deadly blast

20 July 2011 00:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Cyprus’ foreign minister on Tuesday became the second cabinet member to resign in the wake of the explosion of dozens of gunpowder-filled containers at a naval base that killed 13 people and has shaken public confidence in the government, APA reports quoting news.yahoo.com webpage.
Official documents obtained by The Associated Press showed an explosives expert warning five months before the blast that the gunpowder could become unstable because of the effect of the weather on the containers that were confiscated from an Iranian ship in 2009.
Moreover, the documents show that Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou had said that both Iran and Syria were pressuring Cyprus to return the containers.
Kyprianou, who initially announced his intention to step down on Monday, told reporters that his resignation was dictated by his "conscience and ethics" and would help ongoing investigations into the island’s worst military disaster. He said he did not accept President Dimitris Christofias’ appeal to stay.
"I also believe that it helps the president of the republic and makes it easier for him to make his decisions, take initiatives and proceed with a course of action that circumstances dictate," Kyprianou told reporters in a brief statement after meeting with Christofias.
The July 11 explosion has prompted nightly protests in the capital with some demonstrators calling on Christofias to step down. The defense minister and top military chief have already resigned.