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Your Excellency, An
Cathaoirleach of the Seanad Éireann,
Esteemed Senators, Dear
Colleagues,
I am deeply honoured to address
the Seanad Éireann today, as
part of my official visit to Ireland, at the kind invitation of my
counterpart the Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann, Mr. Seán Ó Fearghaíl,
exactly a year since his official visit to Cyprus.
This exchange at the highest
parliamentary level reflects above anything else the excellent relations
between our two countries and peoples. At the same time, it has injected new
impetus into inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation, which we cherish
and intend to further strengthen at all levels, bilateral, European and
multilateral.
Indeed, the warm welcome and
hospitality bestowed upon me and my collaborators in the House of
Representatives accompanying me, proves beyond any doubt that the peoples of
Cyprus and Ireland share a unique bond. Despite our two island-states being
at opposite ends of the European continent, several thousand kilometres apart
from one another, our hearts and souls are in tune and there exists a deep
connection and understanding between us.
This should come as no surprise
to anyone familiar with the rich, yet turbulent history of each of our countries.
Both have struggled with the painful experience of division, and, therefore,
have an additional reason to be strongly committed to upholding international
law and the fundamental values and principles that underpin democratic, open
and accountable societies. Cyprus and Ireland, characterised by their rich
history, culture and traditions, are also strong advocates of European
integration. As committed EU member states, they strive to build upon their
respective national experiences and, in parallel, work side by side to
safeguard the essential values of the European Union: respect for the rule of
law, protection of human rights and respect of the principle of equality
within and between member states, thus ensuring that the voice of all member
states is equally heard within the Union of 27. In this framework we aim at
working hand in hand ahead of assuming successively the Presidency of the
Council of the EU, in 2026.
We have presently achieved
remarkable cooperation between our two countries in a multitude of fields,
namely information and communication technologies and innovation, education,
culture and tourism, the justice sector, business and commercial exchanges
and also the marine and maritime sectors.
Ireland is indeed a pioneer in
the fields of innovation, investment in information and communication
technologies, and Cyprus may take in lessons in this regard. We can also work
together, including on the parliamentary level, for further coordination in
the advancement of our roles as regional technology and sciences hubs, based
on competitive advantages that both our countries have. Cyprus and Ireland
are both gateways into and out of the EU – in relation to the Middle East and
the Atlantic, respectively - and are ideal bases for the establishment and
development of multinational technological companies.
I am proud to say that
parliamentary diplomacy has been instrumental in moving forward cooperation
and exchanges between Cyprus and Ireland. Following the Ceann Comhairle’ s
visit to Cyprus, along with Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, there
was increased impetus for the advancement of cooperation in the already
mentioned domains. I am pleased to say that significant results have been
achieved since, also due to the diligent efforts of the Cypriot Ambassador to
Ireland, Ms Charis Christodoulidou, and the Irish Ambassador to the Republic
of Cyprus, Mr Conor Long, who deserve our praise and appreciation for their
hard work and dedication.
Dear Colleagues,
As I have already highlighted,
our two countries share a turbulent past of division, stemming from colonial
rule, civil strife and foreign interference. Despite the significant
distinctions and different historical framework of each case, our peoples
share a tragic past that has left its painful mark within our societies.
Bearing this in mind,
yesterday, I paid a very interesting visit to the Glencree Centre for Peace
and Reconciliation. I was impressed by the Centre’s outstanding work and more
particularly by their Women’s Programme that supports and empowers women who
have themselves experienced political conflict and/or violence to become
active leaders in peacemaking and peacebuilding. The Irish example is indeed
an inspiration for women around the globe.
In today’s turbulent world,
characterised by unprecedented uncertainty and instability, women have the
insightfulness and perseverance needed to deal with the multifaceted
challenges that lay before us. As a young politician and the first female
President of the House of Representatives, I place gender equality and the
eradication of gender-based violence among my top priorities.
The competent authorities of
Ireland and Cyprus have developed cooperation in the field of prevention and
combating of gender-based violence, which I am certain will be further
developed. I should acknowledge especially the pivotal role of Ireland during
its Presidency of the Council of Europe on the prevention of domestic, sexual
and gender-based violence and the development of a culture of respect of
human rights. The Cyprus House of Representatives, for its part, has enacted
important legislation for the criminalization of sexism, harassment and
stalking, as well as for combating violence against women in line with the
Istanbul Convention. Through an amendment to the Law ratifying the Istanbul
Convention, “femicide” has been introduced as a crime per se. Moreover, very
recently, we have enacted a significant piece of legislation that
criminalises illegal practices of so-called “conversion therapies”, in order
to allow all citizens to explore their sexuality, gender identity and gender
expression freely, without any intervention.
Gender equality, is essentially
a matter of human rights, democracy, and justice. I cannot stress enough the
need for collective action, to dismantle the centuries old stereotypes.
Achieving gender equality to be reflected in all spheres of life, is key
towards building stronger, fairer, more inclusive and more resilient
societies.
Dear Colleagues,
For forty nine years now, the
people of Cyprus have been suffering gross violations of international law
and human rights, as a result of the Turkish invasion and continuing
occupation of over one third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. For
too long, we have been yearning for the reunification of our country, that
will enable the people of Cyprus as a whole, Greek Cypriots and Turkish
Cypriots alike, to prosper together in conditions of lasting peace and
stability and that will showcase Cyprus as an example of peaceful coexistence
for the region and beyond.
Two hundred thousand Cypriots,
that is one third of the population of the island, became refugees in their
own country and hundreds remain to this day unaccounted for, known as the
missing persons of the 1974 Cyprus tragedy. Several rounds of talks all these
years, under the aegis of the UN Secretary General, have failed, as Turkey
has been escalating its intransigence and unlawful claims against the
sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus. These have
culminated to its insistence on a “two state” solution that runs counter to
pertinent UN Security Council resolutions. We will never accept such
inadmissible claims, which the EU and the entire international community have
explicitly rejected, as this would be tantamount to the legitimisation of the
Turkish invasion and occupation. Turkish
claims have also been
manifested through escalating provocations aiming at the
creation of new faits accomplis on the ground, including in the fenced area
of Famagusta, as well as in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, of which Turkey
claims 44%. At the same time, Turkey has proceeded to the further
militarisation of the occupied northern part of Cyprus and has tightened its
grip on Turkish Cypriots, far outnumbered by Turkish settlers, aiming at the
islamisation and, ultimately, the annexation of the occupied area. The
instrumentalisation by Turkey of irregular migrants, whom she channels
through the occupied area to the Government-controlled area, with the aim of
changing the demographic character and destabilising the Republic of Cyprus,
is also part and parcel of Turkey’s hybrid war against my
country.
The Greek Cypriot side will
continue to exert every effort for the resumption of negotiations from where
they stopped in Crans Montana, in line with the UN framework and with the EU
playing a more active role in the negotiation process, with the aim of
reaching a just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem, in accordance
with international and European law and pertinent UN Resolutions. A
settlement on the basis of a bizonal, bicommunal federation, that will
reunify the country in conditions of lasting peace and security, will ensure
respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Cypriots -
Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins- and will
free Cyprus from occupation troops and anachronistic guarantees. We need all
the support we can get in this direction. Especially, we appeal to friendly
countries and trusted EU partners, like Ireland, to exert their influence, so
that Turkey reverses its illegal actions in Famagusta and returns to the
negotiating table, also for its own benefit and for the sake of peace and
stability in our wider region.
Cyprus is too small to be
divided! Foreign occupation troops have no place in the civilised world and
there is no better guarantee for all Cypriots - Greek Cypriots, Turkish
Cypriots, Maronites, Armenians and Latins- than to enjoy the rights and
benefits of belonging to the greater European family.
We are indeed very grateful to
Ireland for its principled-stance and steadfast support to our just cause. We
are particularly appreciative of Ireland’s unfailing commitment to and strong
advocacy for international legality, which must prevail in today’s increasingly
unstable world and which is the sole weapon for small
states against the logic of “might is right”. In the course of its
recent two-year term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,
Ireland worked tirelessly to uphold the principles and values enshrined in
the UN Charter and, in this context, has been a vocal and outspoken supporter
of our efforts to reunify our country. We are deeply grateful for Ireland’s
participation in UNFICYP since 1964, currently with Irish police officers
serving in UNPOL. More than 10,000 Irish troops and police officers have
served with UNFICYP over the years, acting as yet another bridge connecting
our two countries. We are also very grateful for Ireland’s significant
support to the Committee on Missing Persons, which attests to your country’s
sensitivity as regards this human rights and humanitarian issue, that has
also been a painful experience of the Irish people.
At this point, I wish to
reaffirm Cyprus’ full alignment with Ireland as regards the Windsor
Framework, vis-à-vis the avoidance of a hard border between the Republic of
Ireland and Northern Ireland, following Brexit. We deem imperative that the
provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and the UK,
as well as the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement
as amended recently, be duly respected by all sides in order to forge a true
relationship of equal partnership between the EU and the UK.
Dear Colleagues,
The ongoing war in Ukraine has
dominated the global agenda. Cyprus, just like Ireland, had an additional
reason to stand firm with principles and by the Ukrainian people
defending their country and their dignity, but also our European
principles and our democracies, which are at stake, as propaganda justifying
illegality is thriving. For the very same principles, Cyprus has fully
aligned with EU sanctions, despite the inevitable cost on its economy and
kept its doors wide open for Ukrainian refugees granting them all due
benefits, although being the EU member-state with the largest number of
asylum applicants per capita, mainly due to Turkey’s tactics, as I explained
before. At the same time, we expect that same determination, which is
rightfully exhibited by the international community towards Russia for
Ukraine, will also prevail for Cyprus. If we mean to work for peace, we must
avoid double standards.
Dear Colleagues,
Our two countries share a
privileged relationship as partners within the EU family, where cooperation
and mutual support are of the essence as we try to navigate through
particularly challenging times. In recent years the EU had to address a
multitude of complex challenges, namely Brexit, the migration crisis, the
Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency and the war in Ukraine. We are
indeed at a historic crossroad in terms of developments in Europe and on a
global scale. The very nature of the challenges we are facing shows us the
way to proceed, which is no other than to uphold multilateralism and to
tackle these global challenges in unity and solidarity. Only then can we hope
for a brighter future, especially for our youth and generations to come.
Dear Colleagues, dear friends,
Cyprus and Ireland share
challenging historical legacies, but we are also united by our commitment to
a better future. In the words of the Irish Nobel Laureate George Bernard
Shaw, “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the
responsibility for our future”. We thus have a responsibility towards our
citizens, to create the future our people desire, demand and deserve. Our
success will depend on our ability to use the wisdom gained from past
experiences and work together to shape a better future for all.
Thank you for your attention.
(The text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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