The President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou on Thursday received the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Cyprus, Liu Yantao with whom she discussed the Cyprus issue and the bilateral cooperation.
During the meeting, a press release says, they both underlined the excellent level of relations between the two countries, based on their firm adherence to common principles, mutual trust and solidarity, and the importance of upgrading these ties to a strategic relationship particularly in the areas of education, trade, health and local authorities.
Demetriou expressed sincere thanks for the firm principled position of China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, regarding the Cyprus problem and the efforts for a solution based on the international law and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
The President of the Parliament underlined the commitment of the Greek Cypriot side for the resumption of the talks and briefed the Ambassador on Turkey’s intensifying threats and provocations against the Republic of Cyprus.
She noted that the Turkish side’s claim for a “two-state” solution will never be accepted.
Demetriou also reaffirmed Cyprus’ firm position in respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and the principle of “One China”.
Liu expressed his appreciation for Cyprus’s long-standing support for the “One China” principle and reaffirmed the firm principled position and support of China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, towards Cyprus and his country’s adherence to the principle of “One Cyprus”. He also expressed his gratitude for the constructive contribution of Cyprus to the strengthening of EU-China cooperation and dialogue.
The Ambassador informed the President of the House about various initiatives of the Chinese Embassy aimed at further strengthening the relations between the two countries and peoples, and invited Demetriou to participate and support such initiatives.
House President expressed the readiness of the Parliament to contribute in every possible way to the further strengthening of Cyprus-China cooperation.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.
Numerous rounds of peace talks under the UN aegis failed to yield results. The latest rounds of negotiations took place in 2017 in Crans Montana, Switzerland.
Source: Cyprus News Agency