The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Anita Demetriou, received today the new Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Cyprus, Mr Mohamed Andallah Al-Nahdi.
Mrs Demetriou welcomed Mr Nahdi to the House of Representatives and wished him every success in his new duties.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, the Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed her appreciation for the principled stance taken by the Sultanate of Oman and underlined the desire of the Greek Cypriot side to resume the talks as soon as possible, with the aim of reaching a solution in accordance with international law and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, for the benefit of the entire Cypriot people. Unfortunately, Ms Demetriou said, the Turkish side insists on dichotomous claims and international recognition of an illegal secessionist entity as a precondition for attending talks. Such claims, she stressed, which violate international law and the UN resolutions on Cyprus cannot be accepted under any circumstances. In this regard, Ms Demetriou expressed her displeasure to the Ambassador of Oman for the operation of a "representative office" of the pseudo-state in his country, pointing out that the acceptance of such actions by legitimate states implies the indirect legitimization of the Turkish invasion and occupation.
Nahdi said that Oman opposes violations of international law and assured the Speaker that his country will continue to support, at every opportunity, efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. He noted that Oman respects its neighbours and seeks the peaceful resolution of disputes through diplomacy. At the same time, he expressed gratitude for Cyprus' support for his country's relations with the European Union.
The meeting noted the friendly relations that have linked the two countries since the early 1970s and the prospects for further development of cooperation between them in areas of common interest, such as shipping, investment and higher education. In particular, both sides expressed their willingness to continue and further strengthen inter-parliamentary relations between Cyprus and Oman and discussed possible ways to achieve this objective.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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