House delegation discusses bilateral relations in Shenzhen

President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou has praised the close cooperative relations that have developed between China and Cyprus and the significant prospects for further upgrading them at various levels, including the parliamentary level.

She was speaking during her meeting with a high-level parliamentary delegation with the Vice President of the local Congress of Shenzhen, in the framework of their official visit to the country at the invitation of the President of the National People's Congress (NPC) of China Zhao Leji.

The House President and the delegation, consisting of AKEL General Secretary Stefanos Stefanou, DIKO President Nicolas Papadopoulos and DISY Parliamentary Representative Nikos Tornaritis, had a meeting with the Vice President of the local Congress of Shenzhen Lu Yi, who hosted a lunch in honour of the President and the delegation, in the presence of local Congress officials and the Head of the European Chamber of Commerce in the city, a House of Representatives press release said.

During the 9 October meeting, it added, Demetriou noted that the visit of a high-level delegation from the House of Representatives sends a strong message of cooperation and friendship to China, while underlining that Cyprus and China are linked by close ties of friendship, based on common principles and solidarity, governed by the "One Cyprus-One China" principle.

She also praised the close cooperative relations that have developed between the two countries and stressed that there are significant prospects for further upgrading them at various levels, including the parliamentary level.

Demetriou congratulated the people and leadership of Shenzhen for their vision, which she said is being implemented with hard work, and assured Cyprus' support for the "One China" principle, expressing Cyprus' readiness to contribute in every possible way to the EU-China dialogue.

The House President also expressed her appreciation for China's principled position and support as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council regarding the Cyprus problem and its resolution efforts and informed Lu about recent developments, noting the commitment of the Greek Cypriot side to the goal of reunifying Cyprus and stressing that such a development would be a catalyst for the prevalence of peace not only in Cyprus but also in the entire region.

For his part, Lu referred to the 40th anniversary of Shenzhen becoming a Special Economic Zone and the important reforms that have brought about rapid economic and social development, stressing that the peoples of China and Cyprus have a long-term vision, aiming for continuous progress.

It is added that the President and the high-level delegation visited the Shenzhen Foreign Language School in the presence of the head of the local education bureau, with Demetriou noting the important work done at the school as it highlights a model city in the field of education, critical thinking, research and innovation.

The President and the parliamentary delegation also visited the city's museum and BYD Shenzhen Co, the press release concludes.

(Source: CNA)