House president discusses bilateral relations on Japan visit

House President Annita Demetriou discussed bilateral relations with her Japanese counterpart Hiroyuki Hosoda on Tuesday in Tokyo during a meeting on the sidelines of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s funeral, the ministry announced on Wednesday.

Demetriou attended the state funeral at the Nippon Budokan stadium in Tokyo on behalf of President Nicos Aansatsiades. The ceremony was attended heads of state and government, speakers of parliaments and other officials from various countries.

Marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Japan, the meeting between the House president and Hosoda “served to discuss the common characteristics of the two countries as island states,” a statement released by Demetriou’s office said.

“Moreover, another topic discussed referred to the shared commitment to common principles and values, in particular the respect for international law.”

Demetriou updated Hosoda on the Cyprus problem, in particular the Republic’s firm commitment to resume talks with Turkish Cypriots aimed at finding a solution on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

Furthermore, the two exchanged views on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism and the economy, and on the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Demetriou also stressed that taking collective action is a prerequisite for effectively addressing the impact of the war, as well as that of rising living costs.

Finally, the two reaffirmed their common will to further broaden and deepen cooperation between Japan and Cyprus.