The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign and European Affairs and Chairman of the Cyprus-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (ICPC) in the House of Representatives, Mr. Marios Mavridis (Deputy Chairman), Averof Neophytou, George Loukaides, Chrissis Pantelides, Christos Christou, Marios Karoyan and Councillor Alexandra Attalidou had a meeting today with a delegation of the Armenian-Cypriot Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in the Armenian National Assembly. The delegation is headed by the President of the Armenian-Cypriot Inter-parliamentary delegation, Mr. Hayk Konjoryan, and includes deputies Mr. Vladimir Vardanyan, Mr. Rustam Bakoyan, Mr. Hayk Tsirunyan, Ms. Karen Hambardzumyan and Ms. Arusyak Manavazyan. Present at the meeting was the Representative of the Armenian Religious Group in the Parliament Mr. Vartkesh Mahtesyan.
Welcoming the delegation of the Armenian-Cypriot FTA, Mr. Georgiades said that the common historical path of the two peoples is the foundation of the strong ties between them and expressed his conviction that there is ample room for further strengthening of the bilateral cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia.
The current international instability, Georgiades pointed out, favours the revisionist and expansionist tendencies of countries such as Turkey and Azerbaijan and, therefore, Cyprus and Armenia should intensify their cooperation. Georgiades said that Azerbaijan's attack on Nagorno Karabakh in October 2020 and the consequent expulsion of people from their ancestral homes, the desecration of churches and historical monuments and the severe humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor brought back memories of the 1974 Cypriot tragedy.
At the same time, with regard to the Cyprus problem, Mr Georgiades pointed out that Turkey's destabilizing role and its intransigent attitude, reflected in its continuous pursuit of the consolidation of the fait accompli of invasion and occupation, leave no room for optimism regarding the prospects for a solution of the Cyprus problem.
Mr Georgiades pointed out that Turkey's destabilizing role and its intransigent attitude, reflected in its continuous pursuit of the consolidation of the fait accompli of invasion and occupation, leave no room for optimism regarding the prospects for a solution of the Cyprus problem.
Mr. Konjoryan praised the high level of dialogue and cooperation between the two countries, in particular at the level of the two Parliaments. Konjoryan expressed sincere thanks for the principled stance taken by Cyprus in relation to Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and assured the Cypriot MPs of Armenia's full support and assistance in the just struggle for the resolution of the Cyprus problem and the end of the Turkish occupation.
The members of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee and members of the Cyprus-Armenia FTA underlined the long-standing ties of friendship between the two countries and stressed their full solidarity and support to the friendly Armenian people. The Cypriot MPs condemned the aggression and revisionist aspirations of Azerbaijan and Turkey and stressed the need for further cooperation and coordination, especially in the bilateral and international parliamentary framework, to address the common threats and challenges faced by Cyprus and Armenia.
In addition, the possibility of strengthening cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the fields of trade, education and tourism, was underlined by both sides and satisfaction was expressed for the establishment of a new partnership between the two countries.
