MEP Christiana Erotokritou participated yesterday in a debate on the recent security challenges facing Europe, at the Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
As part of the work of the Third Part of the 2022 Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MP Christiana Erotokritou participated yesterday in a debate at the Plenary Session of the Assembly on the current security challenges facing Europe.
Cypriot MP Ms. Christiana Erotokritou initially refuted claims by the Turkish delegation in the Plenary on the "isolation of TCs in Northern Cyprus", stressing that there is no Northern Cyprus. There is only occupied Cyprus. There is no embargo against the TCs. The international community refuses to deal with Turkey's subservient administration in the occupied territories, she pointed out. This in Mr. Erdogan's mind may be an embargo, but in the eyes of the rest of the world, however, it is compliance with international law, she noted. Let's solve the Cyprus problem based on the values of the Council of Europe. We are ready, are you? The Cypriot MP asked.
Ms Erotokritou then pointed out that the consequences of the war in Ukraine are significantly altering the security architecture of both Europe and the rest of the world. The war in Ukraine, Ms Erotokritou said, has demonstrated that security in Europe was contrived and fragile. The excessive importance that Europe had placed over the past years on maintaining fiscal and economic stability had proved to be in vain. As is evident in practice, the Cypriot councillor stressed, there can be no prosperity and stability if peace, security and the rule of law are not guaranteed in advance and as a prerequisite.
Ms Erotokritou also warned that some cross-border threats and challenges, such as cyber attacks and climate change, have been underestimated and if not addressed immediately and effectively, their consequences can be very dangerous.
Ms Erotokritou made specific reference to the instrumentalisation of the migration issue, pointing out the link between this tactic and the radicalisation of part of the migrant population, a major destabilising factor within European societies.
The security challenges, she said, have been, are and will continue to be the same, with the main causes being the non-application of international law and serious shortcomings with regard to the rule of law and respect for human rights.
It is important to say, she stressed, that those states that violate international law and invade neighbouring states also violate the rule of law and undermine the democratic principles and human rights of their own citizens. This is a common characteristic of aggressive countries and, unfortunately, the case of Russia is not the only one, she said.
The circumvention of the basic principles and values of the Council of Europe and the tolerance shown towards such unacceptable practices fuel revisionism, she underlined. Therefore, any deviations from the democratic principles of the Council of Europe and international law cannot be accepted, she concluded.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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