The Presidents of the Parliaments of Cyprus, Egypt and Greece highlighted the importance of cooperation for the benefit of the three countries and the promotion of security and stability in the region, during the opening of the 2nd Trilateral Meeting of the Presidents of the Parliaments of the three countries.
The meeting is being held at the House of Representatives in Nicosia, seven years after the first meeting that took place also in Cyprus. Discussions will focus on three areas: the role of parliamentary diplomacy in building peace and stability through cooperation in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, energy as a driving force for regional cooperation, including challenges and opportunities for Cyprus, Egypt and Greece, and strengthening interparliamentary cooperation, with young people at its centre.
House of Representatives President Annita Demetriou, who opened the proceedings, said in her opening remarks that the decision by Greece, Cyprus and Egypt to join forces and address common challenges together by developing a strategic partnership was “a fully conscious choice”, with the primary aim of ensuring that this cooperation would be mutually beneficial for the three countries and their citizens.
She noted that the three countries “seek to ensure that peace will outlast the individual interests of each state, elevating cooperation into a catalyst for peace”.
Demetriou said this was the second Trilateral Meeting of the Presidents of the Parliaments of Cyprus, Egypt and Greece, seven years after the first meeting was held in Cyprus. The delay was mainly due to the COVID pandemic and elections taking place in all three countries, she noted.
She said Wednesday’s meeting gave fresh impetus to the trilateral parliamentary cooperation framework and sends a message of “our shared determination to make the most of this opportunity to further strengthen our cooperation and highlight the added value of parliamentary diplomacy in achieving the common goals of our three countries.”
Longstanding friendship and cooperation
Above all, she said, the meeting reflected the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the three countries, which was based not only on their geographical proximity and cultures, but also “on our consistent commitment to our common principles and values, which form the foundation of our shared vision for promoting peace, security and stability across the wider Eastern Mediterranean region through cooperation.”
She said this vision had taken on even greater significance as the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East were once again being shaken by continuous violations of international law, ongoing conflicts, simmering crises and multidimensional challenges requiring a collective response.
Demetriou underlined that Cyprus, which, she noted, had been experiencing the painful consequences of Turkey’s invasion and occupation of more than one-third of its territory for 52 years, fully understood the importance of international legality and building good-neighbourly relations.
“Facing illegal actions on a daily basis which undermine regional peace, and despite its small size, Cyprus plays its part with a sense of responsibility and consistency, in line with its geographical position and its status as the European Union member state closest to the region,” she said.
The Republic of Cyprus, she added, “constitutes a pillar of security and stability and a bridge for dialogue and cooperation between Europe and the countries of the region, as well as between those countries whenever called upon to do so.”
In this context, she said, Cyprus undertook initiatives and developed partnerships with neighbouring countries.
Demetriou also noted that the three countries had succeeded in turning sectors such as energy and defence into vehicles for promoting and consolidating peace, security and stability, while fostering predictability, solidarity and synergy.
“At this critical juncture, our Parliaments are present,” she said.
“We are here today to underline our willingness to work together and our determination to promote joint initiatives and actions that will deliver tangible results,” as well as to support and advance, through parliamentary diplomacy, the goals set at the level of the leaders of the three countries, she added.
Concluding, she expressed confidence that the meeting would provide the impetus for new ideas and concrete proposals “on how we can further strengthen our trilateral cooperation through beneficial actions for our citizens, highlighting the potential of parliamentary diplomacy to contribute to the goal of achieving the much-desired peace, stability and prosperity in our strategically important region.”
Strengthening relations through such initiatives
In his opening remarks, President of the Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis expressed the hope that the meeting would become an institution and take place once a year, “so that we can strengthen our relations through such initiatives, both between our Parliaments and between the governments of the three countries.”
He thanked and congratulated Demetriou “for her immediate response to the disgraceful signing of the Turkey-Libya memorandum.”
He noted that three weeks ago, Demetriou had sent a letter of protest to the Presidents of the Parliaments of EU member states, several Arab countries and international organisations, following the decision by Libya’s House of Representatives to approve the so-called Turkey-Libya memorandum, “an illegal and invalid memorandum that violates international law and the law of the sea”.
Kaklamanis also expressed his wish that particular attention be given to the Cyprus issue during the discussions, noting that it was an international issue involving invasion and occupation in violation of international law and the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.
In closing, he thanked Demetriou and the Cypriot Parliament for hosting the meeting, as well as Egypt's Speaker of Parliament, Hesham Badawy.
He described Badawy as “a moderate man with a big heart for Cyprus and Greece, and a wealth of experience”.
Demetriou said she fully agreed with Kaklamanis, adding that she too had come to appreciate over the past few days what he had highlighted about the Egyptian Parliament Speaker: “not simply a moderate man who loves his country and Cyprus, but a highly experienced politician who can shape the developments we seek for further cooperation between our countries”.
Strategic partnership founded on friendship and mutual respect
On his part, Egypt’s Speaker of Parliament, Hisham Badawy, speaking through an interpreter, referred to the Cyprus-Greece-Egypt Trilateral Summit held in September in El Alamein and his country’s interest in continuing consultations and coordination through all constitutional institutions.
The trilateral relationship was not merely a strategic partnership aimed at securing common interests, he said, noting that it was founded on friendship and mutual respect.
He said the regularity of the meetings had a particular significance for relations and coordination across various forums, providing a very good framework for joint action by the three countries at regional and international level.
He also said the meeting was being held in the same spirit, adding an important dimension to cooperation, as the three parliamentary presidents represented their peoples in efforts to promote collaboration across various sectors.
Through cooperation, he said, the three countries could establish a framework for dialogue and support the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with UN principles, for the benefit of stability and development in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Badawy said Egypt firmly believed in international cooperation between countries and that strengthening parliamentary relations at all levels would contribute to achieving common goals and reinforcing efforts across all sectors.
He expressed the hope that the discussions would translate into practical and feasible solutions.
(Source: CNA)
Also read: Nicosia hosting 2nd trilateral of Parliament Presidents of Cyprus, Greece, Egypt
