The Presidents of the parliaments of Cyprus and Monaco pledged their joint commitment to further enhance exchanges between the two bodies.
Cyprus’ President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou, in Monaco for the 15th Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of Small European States, met on Monday with Stephane Valeri, President of the National Council of the Principality of Monaco.
The meeting with Valeri confirmed the common will to continue cooperation and contacts between Cyprus and Monaco on the basis of common principles and similarities of the two small states.
The two sides pledged to undertake action to strengthen exchanges in the field of investment and commerce. Demetriou and Valeri also decided to further increase exchanges between the two parliaments and to continue their cooperation through active participation in the Conference of Presidents of Parliaments of Small European States.
During her meeting with her counterpart from Montenegro, Danijela Durovic, Demetriou thanked her for Montenegro’s support in the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, pointing out the positive prospects that a solution of the Cyprus problem will bring to the entire eastern Mediterranean region.
Durovic reaffirmed the position of principles her country has on the Cyprus issue, noting the need to respect the territorial sovereignty of Cyprus. Demetriou also supported Montenegro’s European course and expressed the House’s readiness to contribute to efforts to harmonise the country’s parliament with the acquis.
During her meeting with Malta’s Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta, Angelo Farrugia, Demetriou thanked her counterpart for the principled stance Malta maintains on the Cyprus problem which Farrugia reconfirmed.
He repeated that Malta is in favour of a solution of the Cyprus problem, based on the Security Council framework which Malta will participate as a non-permanent member state from January 2023.
The two Presidents also praised the excellent level of bilateral relations between Cyprus and Malta and pledged to continue expanding and strengthening it at a parliamentary level.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island’s northern third.
Source: Cyprus News Agency