Statements by the President of the House of Representatives
and
the President of the European Parliament, in Brussels
Mr Martin Schulz: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome and thank you very much for your
presence. I met I don’t know how many times with my friend Yiannakis Omirou in
different capacities during the last 20 years. It was a pleasure for me to meet
not only a friend, but the Speaker of the Cyprus Parliament. The relation
between the two Parliaments is excellent for years. We have a very constructive cooperation and
dialogue. Also today - I must admit
that this is exceptional - there was not a single point we disagreed about. I
could not say that this is the case with all my visitors so I am very happy for
this.
We are looking with quite big optimism the ongoing
negotiations on the island between the two sides, with optimism from our side -
the side of the European Parliament. We
hope that this is justified and that the talks, which are in a decisive phase,
really will finish with a success because we believe that the reunification of
Cyprus in the times which we are living in, with the problems we are facing, is
a signal of hope not only for the country and for the European Union as a whole
but, I think, it will be a worldwide signal that, with goodwill, solutions are
possible. Not everything is done for the time being, not everything is agreed
and achieved. There are still problems that we have to solve. We have also
spoken about these problems very openly, but I think that there is a hope.
Therefore, I gave the guarantee to President Omirou that
the European Parliament is available to do whatever is needed. The moment we get
a signal from the country that we should intervene, the European Parliament is
prepared to do so.
We spoke also about a visit to the Cypriot Parliament
before the end of its mandate and we will look for an appropriate date. I
thanked President Omirou once more for this kind invitation, which is a
standing, open invitation, and I was very grateful that he repeated that
invitation.
So, you see, the sun is shining, which is in Brussels
always a very good sign and only the case if friends meet. Therefore we take the sunshine today as an
element of encouragement for us that a good solution for Cyprus is feasible and
possible.
Mr Yiannakis Omirou: Thank you Martin. I would like to thank the President of the
European Parliament, my old friend Martin Schulz, for this interesting and
fruitful meeting.
I would like to thank Martin for his support regarding
the efforts for the settlement of the longstanding Cyprus problem, on the basis
of the principles upon which the European Union is founded.
I consider the subsidiary contribution of the European
Union, and especially of the European Parliament, towards the efforts for a
settlement of the Cyprus problem as very, very important and valuable.
Of course, the Cyprus problem is an international
problem and all the efforts made towards its settlement, should remain under the
auspices of the United Nations and the UN Secretary-General. At the same time,
the Cyprus problem is a European problem, especially after the accession of
Cyprus to the European Union in 2004.
I wish to thank the President for his continuous
interest for a just, viable and functional solution of the Cyprus problem.
As you heard, I invited the President of the European
Parliament to pay an official visit to Cyprus in the coming months. Mr Schulz
accepted the invitation and I am very happy for this answer. Of course, he will
have the opportunity to address the House of Representatives of the Republic of
Cyprus.
We have also discussed the stabilising role of the
Republic of Cyprus in a region of conflicts and destabilisation. Cyprus aims at
sustaining and enhancing its role as a stabilising and cooperation factor in the
region.
That you very much Martin for this very friendly and
constructive meeting.
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