Cyprus and Greece agree on issues of international law and do not consider that force, illegality or violence can be the means to protect the interests of our country, said the President of the House of Representatives Annita Dimitriou, during her meeting on Friday with a group of students and teachers of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, who visited the body’s headquarters.
According to the President of the Parliament, the multi-year cooperative relations and the long-term companionship between Cyprus and Greece is very important and is the advantage in view of all the challenges that the two countries have to face.
At a time when democracy is being attacked from everywhere, the defense of institutions is necessary for progress in all areas, continued Mrs. Dimitriou and then explained the differences between the state systems of Cyprus and Greece and the distinct roles between executive, legislative and judiciary, as they are defined in the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus.
He also noted the need to promote young people to political offices and the participation of young people in political life in general.
Referring to the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of 1974, the Speaker of the House said that it is completely unacceptable in a rule of law that Turkish troops still exist and people are deprived of basic human rights in their country, adding that the current situation is one more reason to denounce all violations of international law in areas such as Gaza, Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh.
“A notable difference of the Republic of Cyprus, but also of Greece, is that they agree on the issues of international law and do not consider that force, illegality or violence can be the means to protect the interests of our country”, emphasized Mrs. Dimitriou, adding that “we believe in diplomacy, the establishment of peace, security and stability”, noting at the same time that one area in which we should invest is cultural diplomacy.
On behalf of the EKPA, the Professor of Byzantine Musicology and Chanting Art in the Department of Music Studies of the University’s Faculty of Philosophy, Achilleas Chaldaiakis, said that the presence of young people, especially women in high positions, abolishes the formality of protocol and creates a climate of familiarity, setting an example for the young children.
Mr. Chaldaiakis presented Mrs. Dimitriou with a recent edition of the poetry collection “Deck Diary” by Giorgos Seferis, as well as a commemorative scarf in the colors of the university.
In the discussion with the students, topics such as the toxicity that often prevails in social media, the phenomenon of bullying in schools, the relations of citizens with their representatives in parliaments, the demands of modern education and the opportunities that can arise through synergy between public and private universities.
In closing, Mrs. Dimitriou invited the students to dare and take advantage of all the opportunities presented to them, to stick to what they believe and to actively participate in the efforts for change.
Source: KYPE