[PIO] Statements of the President of the House of Representatives to the press

1. It is with great pleasure that I welcome to Cyprus the Speaker of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom and his entourage.

1. The present visit of Sir Lindsay Hoyle to Cyprus, which is both his first official visit abroad and the first official visit of a Speaker of the House of Commons to Cyprus, underlines the special relationship between the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom as well as our common will to work towards further strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between the two Parliaments.

1. My counterpart and I agreed to increase inter-parliamentary exchanges at various levels, as well as to undertake joint initiatives and actions within the framework of our competences, because only through collective action can we tackle the small and big challenges that lie ahead of us.

1. I briefed the President of the House of Commons on the current developments regarding the Cyprus problem, reaffirming our unwavering commitment to the process of talks, which we wish to resume as soon as possible, with a view to achieving a just and viable solution, on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, for the benefit of the entire Cypriot people, in particular our young people.

1. Sir Lindsay Hoyle and I exchanged views on the cooperation that continues to develop between the two countries in the post-Brexit era in a number of areas, with particular reference to the areas of higher and higher education and tourism. We also discussed issues of common interest, such as the migration crisis and climate change, as well as issues related to strengthening the rule of law including tackling misinformation and "fake news".

1. I am confident that through enhanced cooperation, both at the bilateral level and within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and other international parliamentary organisations in which our parliaments participate, we can do a lot, thus demonstrating the added value of parliamentary diplomacy.

1. I again welcome Sir Lindsay Hoyle and his colleagues to the House of Representatives and wish them a pleasant stay in Cyprus.

(NΓ/SX)
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