Committed to ensure that British government will do utmost to reunite Cyprus, British MP says
CNA/Thanasis Gavos - UK/London, 14/11/2021
We leave Cyprus with a re-doubled collective commitment to ensure that the British Government is doing its utmost to reunite Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with political equality as outlined in UN Security Council Resolutions, co-leader of an All-Party Parliamentary Group Delegation for Cyprus which visited Cyprus last week, Caroline Nokes said.
A delegation of 10 British MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cyprus visited Cyprus last week, as guests of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, to hear first-hand about the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and the strengthening UK-Cyprus relations.
The delegation, led by Caroline Nokes and Bambos Charalambous, arrived in Cyprus in the evening of Tuesday 9th November and left on Friday 12th November. The group of MPs consisted of Geraint Davies, Caroline Dinenage, Fabian Hamilton, Mark Jenkinson! Gagan Mohindra, Anum Qaiser-Javed, Catherine West, and Mike Wood. The President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, Christos Karaolis, accompanied the delegation throughout their visit to help coordinate and facilitate their meetings.
Reflecting on the trip, delegation co-leader, Caroline Nokes commented: “The visit enabled me and my colleagues from the Cyprus APPG to engage with key decision-makers on the island, about the ongoing efforts to restart reunification negotiations, the important strengthening of U.K.-Cyprus security cooperation and Cyprus’ critical role in the Eastern Mediterranean. We also witnessed first-hand the tragic consequences of Turkey`s continued occupation.
“We leave Cyprus with a re-doubled collective commitment to ensure that the British Government is doing its utmost to reunite Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation, with political equality as outlined in UN Security Council Resolutions," she noted.
On his part, Bambos Charalambous said that "we are clear from our visit that after 47 years of occupation, it is time for Cyprus and its people to finally be reunited."
"We will take this message back to Westminster and continue our active support for this just cause,” he concluded.
The delegation had the opportunity to meet with the President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou, the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus Stephen Lillie, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs and its Chair Harris Georgiades, mayors of occupied towns and the Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou.
The MPs were also given a guided tour of the Green Line in Nicosia, they met with civil society groups at the Home for Cooperation in Nicosia, during which there was clear and positive support for reunification, and they visited the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Larnaca.
CNA/TG/EPH/2021
ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY
