A Memorandum of Understanding which makes official the Conference of the Parliaments of Small European States, was has signed by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou along with her counterparts, in Andorra.
Demetriou was taking part in the proceedings of the 19th Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the Small States of Europe, alongside the Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Parliaments of Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Monaco and San Marino.
According to a House of Representatives statement, the first session of the Conference focused on the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the current European and international context. In her address, Demetriou emphasised that, in an international environment characterised by growing instability, armed conflicts and challenges to multilateral cooperation and democratic institutions, commitment to international law, the international legal order, cooperation and dialogue is not a choice but a necessity for small states, given that these principles constitute fundamental pillars of their sovereignty and security.
She also highlighted the vital role of parliamentary diplomacy in building trust, establishing channels of communication and promoting dialogue, particularly on issues that traditional diplomacy is unable to address. Parliamentary diplomacy, Demetriou emphasised, helps to build partnerships and strengthens the voice of the parliaments of small states in European and international forums, minimising the challenges they face due to their limited resources.
The House President also pointed out furthermore, that the House of Representatives’ fulfilment of the parliamentary dimension of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union served as an example of a small parliament’s successful contribution within a multilateral framework.
The topic of discussion during the second session was the balance of power between the executive and the legislature in modern democratic systems. In her remarks, Demetriou noted that smooth relations between the executive and legislative branches are a key component of any effective democratic system, and that maintaining an institutional balance in these relations is necessary to protect democracy, ensuring accountability and maintaining public confidence in the institutions.
She emphasised that cooperation and accountability are mutually reinforcing principles and cornerstones of a healthy democracy, noting that the aim of parliaments, through the exercise of their parliamentary role, must be to strengthen the transparency, effectiveness and resilience of institutions, which must remain close to the public.
Furthermore, as part of the Conference’s proceedings, the participating parliaments signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Conference of the Parliaments of Small European States.
Welcoming this development as highly significant, the House President emphasised the importance of further strengthening cooperation between the parliaments of small European states in order to promote their shared principles and values and the goal of ensuring conditions of peace, stability and security.
“The cooperation we have established”, Demetriou concluded, “will provide the framework for us to tackle together the challenges associated with the specific characteristics of the parliaments of small states and to develop together more effective and substantive action within the framework of parliamentary diplomacy, which is becoming even more urgent in these difficult international times.”
(Source: CNA)
