NICOSIA, May 5 (Xinhua) – Twenty officers serving in the UN Police Force in Cyprus have been awarded honors for their dedicated service at a special ceremony on Thursday.
At a medal ceremony held in Nicosia, the officers, including two from China, received their UN medal with the inscription “In the Service of Peace”.
In remarks at the meeting, Colin Stewart, the UN Secretary – General’s Special Representative and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), congratulated his congratulations to the officers and his appreciation for their dedicated service.
The inscription on the medal is “a recognition from the United Nations for your commitment and contribution to peacekeeping, which I, on behalf of the Secretary-General, am proud to be a part of presenting to you today,” he said.
He added that the work of the UN police is crucial to maintaining peace on the island.
The police force – known as the UN Police (UNPOL) – has been part of UNFICYP since 1964. Officers come from thirteen different contingents, including Bulgaria, Serbia, Ireland, China, Italy, Jordan, Sweden and Finland.
The force currently has 68 officers who help maintain law and order in the buffer zone, with a focus on promoting trust between the foreign Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.
In an interview with Xinhua before the ceremony, Satu Koivu, senior police adviser and head of UNPOL, praised the “strong commitment” of the Chinese police officers serving at UNPOL.
She noted that all Chinese UNPOL officials are well-trained and extremely competent police officers. They can and want to show their competence through their daily work, she added.
“As their UNPOL Commander, I would like to express my gratitude to all Chinese UNPOL officers for their expertise, professionalism, integrity and duty, in your service to peace on this island,” she said.
Shen Yuan, a Chinese policeman who received a medal at the event, said he was “extremely elated” because receiving the medal is not only a recognition of his four-month work in Cyprus, but also of his contribution to maintaining world peace.