Monday, 24 April 2023
The work of the Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union (EU), in which the President of the House of Representatives, Mrs Anita Demetriou, is participating, began today in Prague.
In her intervention during the discussion on the issue of Russian aggression in Ukraine and the EU's response within the wider geopolitical context, the President of the Parliament said that, more than a year after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU continues to stand firmly on the side of Ukraine. The current situation in Ukraine, the President said, is first and foremost a challenge to European and global security, with serious consequences, inter alia, for energy and food security, as well as for the Ukrainian people themselves, who are suffering the consequences of refugeeism.
Underlining the similarities between the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, Ms Demetriou said that although the Cyprus problem is not currently being discussed, however, the defence of international legitimacy dictates that initiatives should be taken to create the necessary conditions for the resumption of talks aimed at finding a just, viable and functional solution in compliance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and EU principles and values. In this context, Ms Demetriou stressed, the support of the EU is indispensable.
Referring to the issue of Ukraine, the Speaker stressed that the House of Representatives, from the very first moment, unanimously adopted a condemnatory resolution, supported the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and, unlike the neighbouring countries, fully aligned itself with the sanctions imposed. It is important, the President stressed, that there is commitment and consistency in the sanctions policy by all EU countries, as well as by the associated and candidate countries.
Finally, Ms Demetriou noted that, one year on, Ukraine, its reconstruction and support for its energy sector remain a top priority for the EU. She underlined that, at the same time, a more intense diplomatic mobilisation of the EU is needed to end the war and restore international law and European principles and values in Ukraine and Europe at large. Vladimir Orlić, the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Mr. Shalva Papuashvili and the Speaker of the Parliament of Denmark Mr. Søren Gade Jensen.
During the meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Serbia Mr. Vladimir Orlić, the excellent relations between the two countries and their parliaments were mutually reaffirmed, as well as their shared commitment to democratic principles and values and the rule of law. In this context, the President of the Parliament expressed her support for Serbia's EU accession process and for the continuation and completion of the whole process. Orlić informed Mrs Demetriou about the recent provocative actions of the so-called "government" of Kosovo, such as the holding of municipal elections in Serb-populated areas without the participation of Serbs, complaining about the sluggish reaction of the EU. Cyprus is one of the few EU member states that has not recognized the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and that it supports Serbia in principle, given the illegal declaration of the pseudo-state on the Turkish-occupied territories of Cyprus.
During the meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Mr. Shalva Papuashvili, who is attending the Conference in his capacity as President of the Parliament of a country that has applied for EU membership, confirmed the warm and friendly relations between the two countries, which are based on common principles and values, as well as on common principles stemming from the common cultural and religious background of the two countries. The President of the House of Representatives expressed the readiness of the House of Representatives to assist Georgia in its accession process as soon as it receives the status of candidate country, through the provision of expertise and possibly through the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation.
During the meeting with the President of the Danish Parliament, Mr. Søren Gade Jensen, issues of enhancing cooperation and dialogue at bilateral level and more broadly in the context of the EU and other international organisations in which the two Parliaments participate were discussed. On the occasion of the meeting, both sides expressed their willingness to deepen relations between the two Parliaments by exchanging visits at interparliamentary level, as well as by establishing respective Friendship Groups as an important step in this direction. The President of the Parliament also had the opportunity to inform the President of the Danish Parliament about the current situation in the Cyprus problem and the ongoing Turkish provocations in Cyprus.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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