Nicosia: House President Annita Demetriou briefed a delegation of the Greek Parliament on the outcome of the latest informal meeting on the Cyprus issue under the aegis of the UN Secretary-General in New York City. Greek parliamentarians, headed by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Administration, Public Order and Justice, MP Anastasios Bartzokas, expressed support for the efforts to reunite the island.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the delegation of the Hellenic Parliament is visiting Cyprus to represent the Parliament at the commemorations condemning the 1974 Turkish invasion. MPs Tsambika Iatrides and Michalis Katrinis are also members of the delegation.
A press release by the Cyprus Parliament states that Demetriou emphasized that the presence of the Greek parliamentary delegation in Cyprus during these tragic days is both substantive and deeply symbolic. She also highlighted Cyprus’ and Greece’s united front amid the ongoing challenges.
Referring to the New York meeting, the House President underlined the significance of keeping the procedure alive and the dynamic behind it. Demetriou also addressed the issue of the missing persons, which remains the most tragic aspect of the Cyprus problem, adding that synergies should take place between the two Parliaments to further promote it.
Bartzokas paid respect to all those who sacrificed their lives defending Cyprus, those who are missing, and those who continue to experience the tragic consequences of the Turkish invasion and the ongoing occupation. He expressed the unwavering support of the Greek people and the Hellenic Parliament for efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue and reunite the island. Referring to the issue of the missing persons, Bartzokas stated that it is inconceivable that fifty-one years later, families are still unaware of the fate of their loved ones.
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 due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, ended inconclusively.
A second informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format was held in New York on July 16-17, 2025. Since the Turkish invasion, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown. A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying, and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.