With a video of the Russian bombings in Odessa, Borodyanka, Mariupol and other cities of Ukraine, his intervention began President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskywho addressed the House of Representatives of Cyprus on Thursday afternoon.
Shortly afterwards, Mr. Zelenski addressed the Cypriot Parliament, at the special sitting of which was also attended by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, as well as members of the Council of Ministers and MPs.
According to Mr. Zelensky, the Russian invasion of Ukraine will determine the survival, not only of Ukraine, but of the whole of Europe. Russia’s goal is to create discord among the member states of the European Union. So Russia sees most of them as a useful tool, or in case a country is not so strong, Russia sees it as a territory to be conquered, Mr. Zelensky characteristically noted, to add that the Russian invasion began in 2014 with the conquest of Crimea. There is currently no honest dialogue with Russia. “Russia perceives the benevolent position of some states as a weakness” he pointed out, while he also referred to the case of a 6-year-old child who was wanted for days and was eventually found dead.
In particular, the Ukrainian president asked Cyprus: to close all Cypriot ports for Russians, to stop issuing “golden passports” to Russians, to stop dual citizenship (noting that there is no need to stop for Russians who do not support the invasion, however, data should be provided) and an embargo on imports of Russian fossil fuels from Russia should be imposed.
Alongside, Ukrainian President calls for Cyprus’ support for Ukraine’s accession to European Union.
The fact that immediately after the conclusion of V. Zelenski’s speech, which did not include any reference to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the Speaker of the Cypriot Parliament Annita Dimitriou, took the floor to address this issue.
The President of the Cyprus Parliament of Representatives
“Cyprus, like Ukraine, is a victim of invasion and occupation by a stronger neighbor. In 1974, Turkey, which was also a guarantor power, invaded Cyprus with accusations incompatible with the established principles of international law and international legitimacy, as today Russia, and since then holds 37% of our country, a European territory . For more than 47 years, we have been experiencing the painful consequences of blatant violations by Turkey of the principles of international law and basic human rights, and we are witnessing daily new atrocities both on the ground and in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey’s expansion plans “, said the Speaker of the Cypriot Parliament as soon as the President of Ukraine completed his speech and added:
Mister President,
You mentioned yesterday the breach of promises by Turkey. What I want to emphasize is that international history offers us lessons that we must take seriously. And it is precisely the status of the guarantor power in the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus, which was the pretext for the Turkish invasion. As if the invasion and violation of the territorial integrity of a state, could be justified in any way. Ukraine, therefore, like Cyprus, has the right to be a normal, modern European state, without anachronistic guarantees from third countries, which is also not in line with 21st century culture. It has the right to choose the future it desires for the benefit of its people.
I would therefore like to assure you that Cyprus, just like the rest of our EU partners, remains firmly committed to the implementation of the sanctions that we as the European Union have imposed on Russia, with the aim of changing its behavior and ending the invasion of the country. your. Because a firm commitment to the firm principles of international law, to European principles and values, and to respect for human rights is a matter of survival for all of us.
The logic of the two measures and the selective tolerance, and I am referring specifically to Turkey, both in terms of the flagrant violations of international law in Cyprus and elsewhere, and the non-application of sanctions against Russia, is not only selfish. “It undermines the intended impact of sanctions, offending the entire international community, and calling into question its determination and credibility.”
Concluding, Ms. Dimitriou stressed:
“Cyprus knows what war and asylum mean, since as a country we still have tens of thousands of refugees and hundreds of missing people due to the Turkish atrocity. It is for this reason that the response of the Cypriots to the need for support and relief of the people of Ukraine has been immediate and unprecedented. The humanitarian aid from Cyprus to Ukraine continues and is the largest ever offered by our country. Cyprus has embraced the refugees from Ukraine, providing them with temporary protection status and all related rights, despite the challenges and difficulties it faces.
Mr President, I conclude by assuring you that Cyprus will remain committed to the positions of principles and values, which are fully in line with the principles of international law and international legitimacy, and in this context will continue to provide all possible assistance and support to the friendly Ukrainian people. . I wish for the obvious. Respect for international law and dialogue to prevail and peace and stability to be restored soon, giving back hope to our peoples for an auspicious and creative future.
I hope and hope that this will also apply to my own homeland, which is still semi-occupied, divided and unjust “.
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