The Cyprus issue and the Turkish provocations, bilateral cooperation and the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU were on the agenda of a meeting on Thursday between Speaker of the Parliament Anita Demetriou[/B] and the new Ambassador of Sweden Martin Hagström.
A statement from the House of Representatives said that the Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed her confidence in the continued close cooperation between the House of Representatives and the Embassy of Sweden to further strengthen relations and cooperation, especially between the parliaments of the two countries, in areas of common interest and at various levels.
He expressed sincere thanks for Sweden's principled position on the Cyprus problem and its long-standing contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force. The Swedish Ambassador reaffirmed his country's principled position and support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, noting in particular the Swedish Embassy's contribution to the promotion of inter-religious dialogue.
The President of the Parliament pointed out that the multiple challenges facing Europe and the world at large require a collective response in a spirit of solidarity and unity. Demetriou deplored Turkey's increasing provocations and illegal actions against Cyprus, especially in the enclosed area of Famagusta, the further militarization of the occupied territories and the instrumentalization of illegal immigrants by Turkey.
He underlined the firm commitment of the Greek Cypriot side to the resumption of negotiations to find a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, aiming at the reunification of Cyprus in peace and security.
Referring to Sweden's assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2023, Mr. Hagström noted as the main priorities of the Swedish Presidency the protection of the environment, the promotion of gender equality, addressing the energy and climate crisis in the light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and strengthening the EU's role in the world and the EU's competitiveness.
The President informed the Ambassador about the initiatives and actions taken by the House of Representatives and herself to strengthen the existing legislative framework for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Demetriou noted that Cyprus is the first country in the world to enact the substantive offence of femicide and to criminalise sexism and online sexism and stressed the importance of not reversing progress on gender equality issues and not downgrading human rights issues more broadly, in light of the war in Ukraine and other serious security challenges.
After the meeting, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment, Haralambos Theopeptou, visited with Mr Hagström the Swedish Embassy's exhibition on sustainable waste management, hosted in the Parliament building.
Source: KYPE
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
