The work of the Expanded Meeting of the International Secretariat, Chairs and Rapporteurs of the Committees of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IPA), hosted by the House of Representatives, took place yesterday in Limassol between 16 and 19 March 2023. The session was attended by the members of the Cypriot delegation to the IOA, MPs Panicos Leonidou (leader), Efthimios Diplaros, Marinos Mousioutas and Elias Mirianthous, and MPs from the parliamentary delegations of the other thirteen member countries of the Organization.
Welcoming the participants, Mr. Leonidou noted as an important event the holding in Cyprus of the extended session of the IOA after three years after, due to the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the regular activities of the Assembly had been postponed, which, as he pointed out, underlines the importance that Cyprus and the House of Representatives attach to this inter-parliamentary institution. Mr Leonidou expressed sincere appreciation to the Members of the IOA for their principled stand and their long-standing support for the Cyprus problem and their efforts to resolve it, on the basis of international law and the relevant UN resolutions. He also underlined the need to protect and restore religious and cultural heritage, particularly in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus, Kosovo and Nagorno Karabakh. In conclusion, Mr. Leonidou stressed the need to join forces within the Orthodox world and to highlight the common principles and cultural traditions of the IOA Members, so that the contribution of the Organization to the shaping of the European and world affairs is even more dynamic and substantial.
Mr. Diplaros referred to the importance of the Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Heritage (Nicosia Convention) as the only international convention that attempts to remedy the situation, in addition to preventing the looting and commercialisation of cultural heritage, the fight against the smuggling of cultural property and the criminalisation of antiquities theft and, above all, the prosecution of illegal excavation, theft and preservation of stolen goods by antiquities thieves and grave robbers. The Cypriot MP called on the IOA Members to contribute to the proper implementation and successful implementation of the Nicosia Convention, supporting the collective effort and international cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage and tradition.
Mr. Moussiuttas stressed that for the Cypriot Hellenism, the protection and restoration of the Orthodox churches and monuments and in general the religious and cultural heritage in the occupied territories is a matter of survival in the land of our fathers. The crime of desecration and destruction of the rich cultural heritage, committed by Turkey and the illegal occupation regime in the occupied territories of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974, either due to the deliberate exposure of Christian churches and other monuments to the ravages of time or due to their systematic destruction and the sale on the black market of thousands of cultural and religious objects of historical value, aims to eliminate the Greek Orthodox element and to the dehumanization of the occupied territories, Mr. Moussiuttas. It is our duty, the Cypriot MP stressed, to preserve the cultural heritage, which is threatened nowadays more than ever before, as a testimony of the past, but also as a vector of peace for the future. Mirianthous noted the paramount importance of the campaign undertaken by the IOA to highlight the issue of the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in order to raise awareness and awaken the international community, both on this issue and on other problems and tensions created by Turkey against its neighbouring countries. In this regard, Mirianthous deplored Turkey's provocations and illegal actions against the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Cyprus and Greece. He also denounced that, as part of its hybrid war against the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey is massively channeling irregular migrants through the occupied territories to the areas under the control of the Government of Cyprus, with the aim of altering the demographic character of the island and destabilizing the Republic of Cyprus.
The participants of the Expanded Meeting of the IOA International Secretariat will be in Nicosia today, where they will be received by the President of the Republic Mr. Nicos Christodoulides, the Archbishop of Cyprus Mr. George and the Speaker of the House of Representatives Ms. Anita Demetriou and will have a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Constantinos Combos. In addition, the Speaker of the House of Representatives will host an official lunch in honour of the participants, who will then visit the ceasefire line in the old town of Nicosia.
Tomorrow, Saturday, an event will take place at the Holy Metropolis of Limassol for the presentation of the IOA's tribute volume entitled "Agia Sophia: The Temples of the Wisdom of God around the World". Afterwards, participants will visit sites and monuments of religious and cultural interest in Paphos, including the Church of Aghia Sophia in Muttalos.
(The text as sent by the House of Representatives)
(AF/SX)
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs PIO
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