The Speaker of the House of Representatives Mrs Anita Demetriou received today the Ambassador of Poland to Cyprus Mrs Irena Lichnerowicz - Augustyn for a discussion on the issues arising from the recent participation of the Speaker of the House in the Meeting of Women Speakers of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union (EU), in Warsaw, between 19 and 21 April 2022, at the invitation of the President of the Polish Parliament, Mrs Elzbieta Witek. The meeting also discussed the humanitarian, economic and geopolitical consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Referring in particular to her impressions from a visit, in the context of the above meeting, to the Polish-Ukrainian border in Dorohusk, to the refugee reception centre in Lwowska, as well as to the "Ptak" humanitarian aid centre in Nadarzyn, Ms Demetriou stressed that witnessing first-hand the drama of Ukraine makes it easier to understand what Cypriot refugees experienced during the 1974 Turkish invasion. Ms Demetriou further pointed out that refugee women and children from Ukraine are under multiple vulnerabilities, as they are at greater risk of becoming victims of gender-based and sexual violence or trafficking.
The Speaker also informed the Polish Ambassador about the decisions taken at the above meeting regarding joint initiatives and actions to be taken in support of Ukrainian refugees, including a proposal to create an online platform to provide information and assistance to refugees in the Ukrainian language, as well as the possibility for children to continue their education online. As for the immediate next steps, the President of the Parliament pointed out that these will be finalised during the online meeting of the Women Speakers of the Parliaments of the EU Member States scheduled for the near future.
For her part, the Polish Ambassador expressed her readiness to assist in every possible way in the implementation of these initiatives and more generally in the efforts and initiatives undertaken in practical support of Ukrainian refugees.
(NΓ)
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