NICOSIA — Daniel Craig’s (photo) globetrotting has brought him to Cyprus — but not to film any scenes as super spy James Bond.
The British actor was on the eastern Mediterranean island Tuesday to inspect the United Nations’ work in clearing minefields, a vestige of the conflict that divided this island along ethnic lines more than four decades ago.
The UN has removed more than 27,000 landmines from the island’s buffer zone over the last decade but it’s estimated that thousands more remain.
The UN said Craig inspected a live minefield being cleared by a 20-strong Cambodian demining team. Cambodia is still plagued by millions of undetected mines planted over three decades of strife that still injure and kill.
“For these peacekeepers to take their expertise, gleaned over the last 40 years in Cambodia, and make it available to the people of Cyprus, half-way around the world, is truly inspiring,” Craig said, according to the UN.
The actor’s two-day Cyprus trip is his first since being appointed UN Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and Explosive Hazards. “I’ve much hope that I will be the first and last global advocate to see land mines on this beautiful island,” said Craig.