MP Mr.Nikos Tornaritis, head of the Cypriot delegation to the CSCE, participated in a meeting of the Political Affairs and Democracy Committee and a meeting of the Monitoring Committee on Member States' Obligations and Commitments to the Council of Europe, which took place in Paris, between 13 and 15 December 2023.
As Rapporteur on behalf of the Committee for Monitoring Member States' Obligations and Commitments vis-à-vis Montenegro, Mr. Tornaritis presented his report and briefed the Committee members on his working visit to Montenegro last July and his contacts with the political leadership, Parliament, independent officials and civil society. He referred to the main challenges facing the country in terms of necessary reforms and in particular the issue of the election of the judges of the Constitutional Court. Mr. Tornaritis' report was unanimously adopted by the Commission and is expected to be put to a vote in plenary in early 2023.
In addition, in the context of discussing Turkey's progress in relation to the Council of Europe acquis, Mr. Tornaritis highlighted the regression of the country in all relevant areas and the visible potential, in view of the presidential and parliamentary elections in the country in 2023, to further undermine democracy, human rights and the rule of law. This climate, Mr. Tornaritis underlined, has extended to the occupied areas of Cyprus, where Turkey is increasingly tightening its grip on Turkish Cypriots. The authoritarian nature of the Turkish regime, which is not in line with the basic principles and values of the Council of Europe, is unfortunately also expressed through the expansionist foreign policy pursued by this country at the expense of its neighbours.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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