The latest developments in the Cyprus issue, cooperation between Athens and Nicosia, and broader European and regional challenges took center stage during a meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, Annita Demetriou, at the Maximos Mansion. The Prime Minister congratulated Ms. Demetriou on her re-election as Speaker of the Cypriot Parliament, and also praised Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, describing it as a particularly successful tenure.
Read also: Famellos on the Cyprus issue: “No one can accept 50 years of Attila, division, and occupation forces”
“Madam President, dear Annita, welcome once again to Athens. I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate you on your re-election to the highly important office of President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, and to wish you every success in your work,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the outset. The Prime Minister noted that Annita Demetriou has accomplished significant work in the field of parliamentary diplomacy as well, contributing, as he put it, to raising international awareness about the Cyprus issue.
He also congratulated the Republic of Cyprus on the successful conclusion of its EU Council Presidency. “I would like to congratulate the Republic of Cyprus and all those who worked toward an exceptionally successful Presidency. I think it was clear at the last European Council that a very great effort was made to close extremely complex dossiers, and there was universal recognition of Cyprus’s contribution,” he stressed.
Turning to the latest developments surrounding the Cyprus issue, the Prime Minister underlined that this is a critical juncture requiring constant coordination between the two governments. “You are visiting at a critical moment, when there is once again real momentum on the Cyprus question, and I am very keen to hear your views — it is our duty to always remain fully aligned, as indeed we have been throughout all these years,” he said pointedly.
Cyprus issue: Annita Demetriou’s response and her message to Greece
For her part, the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus thanked the Prime Minister for Greece’s long-standing support of Cyprus, emphasizing that the two countries share common positions on all major issues. “Greece is always by our side,” she said, while also highlighting the important role both parliaments can play through parliamentary diplomacy.
Ms. Demetriou further stressed that there is room to deepen Greece-Cyprus cooperation in areas such as defense, security, and European policy, noting that both sides will continue working jointly to advance their shared positions. She also referred to ongoing efforts to restart the negotiating process on the Cyprus issue.
“As you have rightly said, our efforts during this period are focused on the momentum surrounding the Cyprus issue, as well as on the challenges we are called upon to manage at the European level. We are hopeful that we will see the kind of momentum that will ensure genuine progress on the Cyprus issue,” she stated. The Speaker of the Cypriot Parliament described Greece as “our strongest fraternal ally,” conveying, as she said, the feelings of the Cypriot people. “Greece was, is, and will remain our strongest fraternal ally — one we need so very much,” she noted.
In closing, Kyriakos Mitsotakis once again congratulated Annita Demetriou on her recent electoral success in the leadership race of the Democratic Rally (DISY), remarking that the result exceeded polling predictions. She responded that her re-election only deepens her sense of responsibility toward the citizens, and reiterated that Greece and Cyprus will continue to move forward with a shared strategy in the face of the challenges they confront.
