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The United Kingdom will always stand by Cyprus, Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle told the House Foreign and European Affairs Committee today.
The British official has been in Cyprus since Tuesday for a three-day visit, during which he met with the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, and will also address the House of Commons at a special sitting of the House at 4.00pm today at the Filoxenia Conference Centre.
In his opening remarks, Sir Lindsay Hoyle noted that this is the first official visit of a Speaker of the House of Commons to Cyprus and his first visit to a foreign country since taking office, which, according to him, confirms the strong Cyprus-UK friendship and mutual commitment to democratic values.
In his concluding remarks, Sir Lindsay Hoyle restated the UK's support for Cyprus "whatever the government", inviting the Cypriot side to present "new proposals" on British support for the resolution of the Cyprus problem.
Regarding the issue of increased tuition fees, the Speaker of the House of Commons said that the issue of education was very important to him and assured members of the Committee that he would meet with the UK Education Secretary on the issue on his return to the country.
On the issue of the British Bases, he said that their role is important for peacekeeping, NATO and the UN, and pointed out the economic benefits of related investments in the region.
Given international geopolitical challenges, such as Russia's growing aggression, Sir Lindsay Hoyle expressed his hope that peace would prevail, while stressing that any escalatory action cannot go unanswered.
In his brief intervention, Committee Chairman and Deputy President of DISY Harris Georgiades highlighted the role of the United Kingdom in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that the problem of the Turkish occupation is not a problem of the past but examples of an open problem are recorded every day. "We need the constructive intervention of the UK, we are not asking for a break in relations with Turkey but for the right demarcation for a positive change in Turkish policy," he added.
From the side of the members of the Committee, DISY Parliamentary Representative Nikos Tornaritis took the floor.After welcoming Sir Lindsay Hoyle to Cyprus, he described the level of relations between the two countries as excellent, which can be further strengthened, especially through Cyprus' participation in the Commonwealth.
Tornaritis made special reference to the role of the United Kingdom as a guarantor of the Republic of Cyprus, calling on the British government through its official to "do its utmost to persuade Turkey to comply with international law, the United Nations Charter and resolutions on the Cyprus problem and the basis for a solution, the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation". He also addressed the issue of the increase in tuition fees for European students following the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, asking for proposals from the British side to ease the tuition fees situation for Cypriot students who continue to choose the UK for their studies.
Speaking on behalf of AKEL, the party's Parliamentary Spokesman, George Loukaides, who, after pointing out the very close relations between the two peoples that have been maintained to date with the massive presence of Cypriots in the UK and the residence of many thousands of British citizens in Cyprus, stressed the need to protect democracy, the rule of law, human rights and to decisively address new and old threats to democratic institutions.
Regarding the role of the UK as a guarantor power, Mr. Loucaides called for support "to continue the talks as soon as possible and not to open new issues", adding that the Turkish Cypriot side and Turkey must realize that there can be no two-state solution.He also called for an end to the settlement of Famagusta and Turkey's provocativeness in the Cypriot EEZ, behaviours that "undermine efforts to resume negotiations and a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem".
On the DIKO side, Nicosia MP and Deputy President Christiana Erotokritou, who stressed the long-standing relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom, said that these are overshadowed by the Cyprus problem. "The United Kingdom has always supported the right solution to the Cyprus problem," she said, stressing in particular that the issue of political equality "is not open to any other interpretation than that set out in the United Nations Charter and International Law and cannot be the product of political alchemy."
Mrs. Erotokritou also called on the British government to reaffirm its earlier position that the system of guarantees in Cyprus had been described as "anachronistic", while in her parallel capacity as Chair of the House of Commons Finance Committee she expressed the view that the UK's withdrawal from the EU has highlighted the role of countries like Cyprus in strengthening cooperation between the two sides.
On behalf of DIKO, MP Chrysis Pantelides also spoke on the issue, calling on the UK government to support the position of Cyprus and Greece to end guarantees in the context of a viable solution to the Cyprus problem.He also stressed the need for the UK and Cyprus to negotiate the status and mission of the British Bases, calling on both sides to "leave behind colonial remnants".
MP and President of ELAM Christos Christou submitted questions to the Speaker of the House of Commons on possible considerations for the abolition of the British Bases in Cyprus on the basis of relevant 2018 court decisions and UN resolutions, as well as on the appeal of 34 EOKA fighters to the English justice system and the claim for compensation for torture, which is still pending. Finally, Christou called on the British government as a guarantor power to put pressure on Turkey "to change its orientation towards a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem" and suggested a visit by Sir Lindsay Hoyle to the prisoner memorials as a "message of friendship".
EDEK MP Kostis Efstathiou highlighted in his statement the special bond, but also the special responsibility of the UK towards Cyprus, which he would like to be more specific. Stating that "occupation, refugeeism, ethnic cleansing cannot be accepted by a democratic society", Efstathiou stressed that the British government must stand on matters of principle and play a decisive role in the Cyprus problem, as it is in the best possible position to exercise this role as the representative of a people "who brought Magna Carta and Habeas corpus into the world".
From the Movement of Ecologists, MP Alexandra Attalidou highlighted the need to protect the lives and dignity of women politicians and called on the British government to protect the voice of Turkish Cypriots persecuted by Turkey. Attalidou also addressed the issue of the loss of the right to vote in local elections for Cypriot and British citizens living in the UK and Cyprus respectively after Brexit, calling for a solution to be found within the Commonwealth, and concluded that she took for granted the position of the Speaker of the House of Commons on non-consensus "on any attempt to partition Cyprus and a two-state solution."
Source: CNA
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