The Cyprus issue will be on the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, said new Ambassador of Spain to Cyprus, Gabriel Ferrán Carrión, who was received on Wednesday by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, on the occasion of the assumption of his duties.
According to a press release issued by the House of Representatives, during the meeting the very good relations between the two countries were reaffirmed and the common will to further strengthen them, especially at the inter-parliamentary level, through the upgrading of parliamentary diplomacy and an increase of exchanges between the parliaments of Spain and Cyprus.
It is noted that the House President expressed her appreciation about Spain’s principled position regarding the Cyprus problem and stressed the need for the Cyprus issue, which is a European issue, to return to the priorities of the European Union, during the Spanish Presidency of Council of the EU, on the second half of 2023.
In addition, Demetriou pointed out that Cyprus has been suffering for forty-nine years, the same violations of international law and human rights by Turkey as those committed in Ukraine by Russia. However, as she noted, the international community has not shown a similar level of sensitivity towards Cyprus.
Cyprus, with a sense of increased responsibility stood by Ukraine’s side from the first moment, defending international legitimacy while the House of Representatives, from the first day of the Russian invasion, unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the invasion and took initiatives and actions to support the people of Ukraine, she stressed.
Oh his part, Ferrán Carrión reaffirmed his country’s principled position on the Cyprus issue, assuring Demetriou that this issue will be on the EU’s political agenda during the six months of the Spanish Presidency.
The war in Ukraine, the Spanish Ambassador underlined, has brought back to the international political scene issues such as illegal occupation and secession, which are related to violations of principles, which cannot be accepted.
Moreover, during the meeting, both sides expressed the will to undertake joint actions and initiatives in Cyprus, within the framework of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the press release concludes.
Source: Cyprus News Agency