House of Representatives President, Annita Demetriou, met with Slovak officials during her official visit to the country, following an invitation from the President of the National Council of Slovakia, Richard Raši.
A statement by the House of Representatives notes that the Slovak officials emphasised their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus and for the goal of resolving the Cyprus issue in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions, as well as for Cyprus' accession to Schengen zone.
Demetriou was, on 5 October, received privately by the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, and had separate meetings with the President of the National Council, Richard Raši, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Slovakia, Robert Kaliňák. The Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to Slovakia, Michalis Karayiorgis, accompanied the President of the House of Representatives.
The House President expressed the gratitude of the Cypriot people for Slovakia's principled position regarding the Cyprus problem and the long-standing presence of the Slovak military contingent in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, as well as for the years-long contribution of the friendly country to promoting dialogue between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot political parties.
Furthermore, Demetriou highlighted the Republic's commitment to the goal of resuming negotiations from where they left off in Crans Montana. Demetriou also pointed out that Turkey's participation in the 'Action for Security in Europe' (SAFE) program is inconceivable while Turkey continues to occupy European territory.
On their part, the press release says, Slovak officials emphasised their country's support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus and for the goal of resolving the Cyprus issue in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions. They also assured the continuation of the Slovak military contingent's presence in Cyprus for as long as necessary, as well as the continuation of facilitating intercommunal dialogue by the Slovak Embassy in Cyprus.
They expressed, at the same time, their country's support for the goal of Cyprus' accession to the Schengen area. During the meeting between the Presidents of the two Parliaments, the alignment of positions between Cyprus and Slovakia on principled issues and a number of important topics on the European agenda was noted.
The Multiannual Financial Framework, migration, initiatives to bring young people closer to the parliamentary work, as well as the prospects of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the defense sector, as well as within the framework of the 'SAFE' program, were also discussed during the meetings.
(Source: CNA)
