President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou encouraged a Cypriot Diaspora youth delegation visiting the House on Tuesday to participate in democratic procedures and believe they can make a difference in today’s world.
The delegation consisted of young people from the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Greece currently visiting Cyprus on NEPOMAK Cyprus Culture Tour, which is designed to help them discover their heritage and culture and explore Cyprus through professionally guided tours and interactive experiences.
In the discussion that took place in the Plenary room, Demetriou stressed the importance of the meeting being held in the House of Representatives and she outlined the institution’s history, function and composition since the country’s independence in 1960.
She also referred to the recent incidents in the area of Pyla, when Turkish Cypriot personnel attacked UN peacekeepers when they tried to stop unauthorised road construction works in the buffer zone, and highlighted the importance of the resumption of talks on the Cyprus problem within the agreed framework of the bizonal bicommunal federation.
The House President also stressed the importance of young people participating in democratic procedures so that they have a say in decisions affecting their future.
Demetriou also referred to a programme she initiated two years ago where students in Cypriot universities are invited for two months every summer to attend all proceedings of the plenary, follow MPs’ work and assist as trainees in different House departments according to their specialisation (e.g. law, international relations).
“My advice to you is to dare, you need to believe that you can be the difference you want to see in the world”, noted Demetriou and urged invitees to gain as much experience as they can and engage in activities that will allow them to increase their knowledge on current affairs and clarify their vision for the future.
Members of the Security Council condemned onTuesday, August 22, 2023, the incidents in the buffer zone, in the village of Pyla, in Larnaca district, with assaults against UN peacekeepers, reiterating their full support for UNFICYP
They also condemned the attacks on UN peacekeepers and the damage to UN vehicles by Turkish Cypriot personnel and wished a speedy and full recovery to the peacekeepers who were injured. They emphasized that “attacks against peacekeepers may constitute crimes under international law and reaffirmed their full commitment to the safety of all UN personnel.”
On Friday August 18,2023 Turkish Cypriots punched and kicked a group of international peacekeepers who obstructed crews illegally working on a road that would encroach on a U.N. controlled buffer zone.
The attack happened as peacekeepers stood in the way of work crews building a road to connect the Turkish occupied village of Arsos with the mixed Greek Cypriot-Turkish Cypriot village of Pyla, inside the buffer zone.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.