Nicosia: The friendly relations between Cyprus and Ireland, based on their similar characteristics as island Member States of the European Union, but also on their parallel painful experiences, were highlighted by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, during her meeting on Tuesday with the Irish Ambassador to Cyprus, Conor Long, on the completion of his term of office.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Demetriou thanked the Irish Ambassador for the excellent cooperation between the House of Representatives and the Irish Embassy during his term of office.
As stated, during the meeting, the friendly relations between Cyprus and Ireland were noted, based on their similar characteristics as island Member States of the European Union, but also on their parallel painful experiences, while the important impetus given to cooperation between the Parliaments of the two countries, with the exchange of visits at the level of the Presidents of the two bodies, was particularly emphasised.
It is added that the House President expressed her appreciation for Ireland’s principled stance and long-standing support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem and for the country’s participation in UNFICYP, while expressing reservations about the possibility of substantive results at the upcoming informal multilateral meeting in New York, due to the Turkish side’s demand for a ‘two states’ solution, which, as she pointed out, goes beyond the agreed UN framework and cannot under any circumstances be accepted.
“We remain committed,” she stressed, “to the goal of resuming substantive negotiations towards a solution, in accordance with the relevant UN Resolutions, which will reunify our country.”
Demetriou also expressed concern about the unstable geopolitical environment, particularly in the Middle East, stressing the importance of commitment to European values and principles and the need for a common foreign policy of the European Union.
She further pointed out that the prevailing uncertainty is being transferred to citizens undermining their trust in institutions, referring in this context to the worrying rise of populism and the instrumentalisation of social media by certain groups to undermine democratic institutions, underlining the need for EU-level legislation on social media, as in the case of the use of artificial intelligence tools.
According to the press release, the Ambassador of Ireland reaffirmed his country’s unwavering support for efforts to resume talks on the Cyprus issue and thanked the House President for her substantive cooperation with the House of Representatives during his term of office, which, he noted, contributed to further strengthening relations between Cyprus and Ireland.
Views were also exchanged on issues of international interest, with particular emphasis on the situation in the wider region, the press release concludes.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.