Cyprus supports Ukraine’s fight, Demetriou says

Cyprus “supports Ukraine’s fight”, House President Annita Demetriou said on Tuesday.

Demetriou was speaking at the interparliamentary session of the International Platform for Crimea in Prague.

She said “we stand against the legitimisation of the occupation in both Crimea and Cyprus … as well as the liberation and reunification of Cyprus on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions and the principles and values of the European Union.”

“In light of the latest developments on the international political scene, we realise that there are no frozen conflicts,” she added, pointing to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and subsequent invasion of the rest of Ukraine last year.

“Cyprus will continue to support the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and also the non-recognition of the change of regime in Crimea,” she said.

She added that “the people of Ukraine are a source of inspiration, since they continue to fight for every European citizen, for the prevalence of law and legitimacy.”

“Cyprus’ compliance with international law and UN resolution is a given, without asterisks, and without footnotes. It is precisely within the same context that we condemn the attempted ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and for the same principled reasons we condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel,” she said.

She added, “we need to respond with more democracy, a stronger defence of our principles, honesty, and cooperation between us. As parliaments, we need to remain on the right side of history.”

Later in the day, she held a bilateral meeting with Czech Senate President Milos Vystrcil, wherein the pair reaffirmed the “friendly relations” between Cyprus and the Czech Republic.

She thanked Vystrcil for the Czech Republic’s “principled stance regarding the Cyprus problem” and informed him about the current “state of stagnation” in negotiations.

She “underlined the efforts” of the Greek Cypriot side for the “immediate resumption of talks to achieve a solution which reunites Cyprus and its people.”

She also held a bilateral meeting with Austrian National Assembly President Wolfgang Sobotka, with both underlining “the scope for further developing the already good relations” between Cyprus and Austria.

She thanked Sobotka for Austria’s “principled stance” on the Cyprus problem and said, “as is the case in Ukraine … it is important to preserve international law and the independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of each state.”

Demetriou, Vystrcil, and Sobotka all “reiterated their unwavering support for Ukraine’s just fight” and said “the ongoing violence in the Middle East should in no way slow down the international community’s efforts to restore international law in Ukraine.”