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- Ελληνικά
Speaker of the House of Representatives Anita Demetriou received today a delegation of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cyprus (APPG-CYP) which is on a two-day official visit to Cyprus following a relevant invitation.
The delegation from the House of Commons is led by the Chair of the Group, Conservative Party Councillor Caroline Nokes and also includes the Group's Honorary Chair, Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale and Labour Party MPs Fabian Hamilton (Vice-Chair of the APPG-CYP), Bambos Charalambous (Honorary Secretary of the APPG-CYP) and MP Paulette Hamilton. The delegation is accompanied by the President of the National Federation of Cypriots of the United Kingdom, Mr. Christos Karaolis.
The Speaker of the House of Commons underlined the close cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, with particular reference to the first official visit of the Speaker of the House of Commons to Cyprus in 2022 and consequently the first official visit of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to London, made by Mrs. Demetriou in 2023.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, the Speaker expressed her sincere thanks for the work of the Group in the British Parliament, its principled stance on the issue and its support for the efforts to resolve it. Noting as a positive development the appointment of the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, the Speaker stressed that our side's objective is to resume negotiations from where they left off, towards a solution of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, within the agreed framework and in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. It also condemned the unacceptable rhetoric for a two-state solution adopted by Turkey and its destabilising actions, such as the recent attack on members of the UN peacekeeping force in Pyla, and thanked the United Kingdom for its prompt and principled response in this regard.
APPG Chair Caroline Nokes reaffirmed the Group's willingness to continue to raise the Cyprus problem with the UK Government and the need to resume talks as soon as possible with a view to reaching a solution of a bizonal bicommunal federation. He also noted that a long-standing objective of the Group is to keep all Members of the British Parliament and the UK Government of the day informed about the Cyprus problem.
The Honorary Chairman of the Group, Sir Roger Gale, stressed the need for an immediate resumption of the Cyprus settlement talks and that the appointment of the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy is an important opportunity to create new momentum in this regard. He further stressed that the talks must be conducted without undue interference and condemned Turkey's attitude during the previous negotiating process.
Members of the Group Mr Fabian Hamilton Mr Bambos Charalambous and Ms Paulette Hamilton reaffirmed their willingness to be informed and mobilised on the Cyprus problem within the British Parliament.
They also exchanged views on the issue of missing persons and the escalating tension in the Middle East, as well as on the serious implications for regional security and stability, with particular emphasis on the disproportionate migratory flows that Cyprus is facing and is expected to face. In this regard, the Speaker of the House of Representatives condemned Turkey's instrumentalization of irregular migrants in Cyprus.
Finally, the Speaker of the House of Representatives awarded the Honorary Chairman of the Group, Sir Roger Gale, with the Medal of Honour of the House of Representatives for his long-standing contribution to Cyprus and its people and his practical support to the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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