The matter of Cyprus is “one of the few on which there is complete unanimity” within the Greek parliament, its speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis said on Tuesday during a visit to the island.

He made the remark after being welcomed at the presidential palace by President Nikos Christodoulides, stressing that his country’s parliament’s unanimity on the issue of Cyprus comes despite “the climate of political tension which exists in Greece” at present.

“There may be some verbal differences in the wording, sometimes necessary for oppositional reasons, but overall, there is a complete harmony of viewpoints. This is precisely the message I want to convey to you, that there is no political party in parliament which does not identify with the established national line which has existed for years,” he said.

He added that it is therefore “with great joy and emotion” that he will attend the parade to be held to mark Cyprus’ independence day on Wednesday morning, and that he has been “informed by [Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos] Gerapetritis about the latest developments” on the Cyprus problem.

In addition, he explained that his own interest in Cyprus “began in the 1990s when I was a member of the European parliament”, during which time he served as deputy chairman of the joint committee of the European parliament and the Cypriot parliament.

“The chairwoman of the joint committee was an English socialist, Pauline Green, who was very much in favour of Cyprus, and so we cooperated closely,” he said. Green is a member of the United Kingdom’s Co-operative party, which is currently in government as part of its electoral pact with the Labour party.

Christodoulides, meanwhile, described Kaklamanis’ visit as a “great pleasure”, before stressing that “the Republic of Cyprus is the most important achievement of the Cypriot people as a result of the national liberation struggle of Eoka”.

He added that Greece’s parliament has “played a decisive role in developments over time”, before highlighting Cyprus’ accession to the European Union in 2004 as an example.

This, he said, was “the most important diplomatic success of the Cypriot people”.

He then pointed out that Cyprus will undertake the Council of the European Union’s rotating presidency “in fewer than 100 days” during the first half of next year, describing the undertaking as “a national challenge to which I am sure we will respond successfully”.

“You are visiting Cyprus at a time when there are many developments in our region. Cyprus, together with Greece, through actions and not words, are proving that they are pillars of security and stability. We are the countries which speak to all the states of the region, and we are attempting … to show the path of cooperation,” he said.

He added that cooperation in the region is “the only way to address common challenges”.

Then, he said that “on many issues, on the majority of issues”, he and Kaklamanis share an “ideological approach”.

“It is common, and I am happy to have this opportunity to mention it publicly. I have always followed your political career and I am particularly happy that you are today in one of the most important positions of the Hellenic Republic,” he said.

Kaklamanis belongs to Greece’s centre-right New Democracy party, which belongs to the same European grouping as Christodoulides.