House Speaker, Annita Demetriou and President of the Austrian National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, reaffirmed the strong ties between Cyprus and Austria and expressed mutual desire to deepen collaboration between the two states.

In statements they made after a meeting on Tuesday, the two officials noted they had discussed the Cyprus issue, the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, migration, the role of social media and artificial intelligence.

“With these implications, complications, and [the] common challenges ahead, we need to do more to safeguard our principles,” Demetriou said, noting that Sobotka’s visit reaffirmed a mutual wish collaborate on a bilateral, European, and multilateral level, in the context of parliamentary diplomacy.

The House speaker also said migration is the number one EU issue and efforts must be redoubled towards tangible solutions through shared responsibility and solidarity.

“Austria stands firmly behind Cyprus in the effort to overcome the occupation of the northern part of the country, based on the relevant UN security council resolutions and with full respect of the Cypriot unity,” Sobotka said, for his part. He noted he had encouraged a more active role to be played by the EU in efforts to end the island’s division.

Speaking about migration, he expressed concerns that it might “change our societies” with impacts on educational systems and quality of life.

Sobotka referred to the situation in Israel and Gaza expressing regret that “Jewish students cannot study in universities without being attacked.”

He questioned the EU’s reaction to the Hamas attack, saying that some speeches made by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell made him “wonder if his position is anti-Semitic.” To compare Israel to a colonial and apartheid-state is an act of anti-Semitism, the Austrian parliamentarian said.

He further expressed the view that all events in Gaza were caused by Hamas, and that when Hamas is defeated and hostages are released, the war will end, and the Palestinian’s living situation will improve.