The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives discussed the strengthening of cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia with a delegation of Armenian MPs, which was received in the House on Tuesday. Committee Chairman and DISY MP Harris Georgiades said that the situation in Cyprus is difficult, because there is no agreement on the Cyprus problem, due to the Turkish unwillingness to negotiate. “Turkey is interested in consolidating the occupation fait accompli,” he noted, and expressed willingness to use Cyprus’ participation in the EU and other forums to inform international public opinion. In his statements after the meeting, Georgiades noted that “the historical and cultural ties that link Cyprus and Armenia are well known, but the challenges we face are also common’, adding that Cyprus’ support for Armenia is a given. “We have decided that there will be further coordination at the parliamentary level in order to conduct an information campaign and promote the common agenda of the two countries’ interests,” he concluded. AKEL MP George Loukaides said that ties between Cyprus-Armenia are at the highest possible level and expressed through solidarity on important political issues. He added that the resolution of the Cypriot Parliament condemning Azerbaijan’s stance on Nagorno Karabakh is no coincidence. He added that there is room for further strengthening cooperation between the two countries on education and tourism issues, indicating at the same time that the presence of diplomatic missions should be a priority. DIKO MP Chrysis Pantelidis said that relations between Cyprus and Armenia are not only based on the historical ties and the existence of the Armenian community in Cyprus, but also on the fact that the two countries must cooperate against the expansionist intentions of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Christos Christou, President and MP of ELAM, said that Cyprus and Armenia share a common history and further stressed the need for cooperation to address common challenges. Marios Garoyian, President and DIPA MP, noted that Turkey has not hidden its aspirations towards Cyprus and Armenia and indicated that Cyprus and Armenia must act in a coordinated manner. Alexandra Attalides, MP of the Ecologists’ Movement, expressed the Movement’s solidarity with the struggle of the Armenians of Artsakh, adding that the positions of the Ecologists’ Movement are reflected in the resolution of the Parliament. Vartkes Mahdessian, Parliamentary Representative of the Armenian community of Cyprus, said that Cyprus and Armenia are two countries with common problems and a common enemy. “The Armenians of Lachin have been held hostage by the Azeris for 140 days, which is a violation of the November 9, 2020 agreement,” he noted. Hayk Konjoryan, Chairman of the Armenian parliamentary delegation, invited the Cypriot MPs to Armenia and expressed his appreciation for the Cypriot stance towards Azerbaijan’s aggression in Nagorno Karabakh, as well as gratitude for the condemnatory resolution of the Cypriot parliament regarding Azerbaijan’s aggression.
Source: Cyprus News Agency