House of Representatives President, Annita Demetriou, head of a high-ranking parliamentary delegation to China, stressed in meetings the great importance Nicosia attaches to the further strengthening of its relations and cooperation with China in a wide range of sectors according to a statement from the Parliament.

Demetriou is head of the parliamentary delegation, consisting of AKEL Secretary General Stefanos Stefanou, DIKO President Nicolas Papadopoulos and DISY Parliamentary Representative Nikos Tornaritis.

According to House of Representatives press release, during the first day of contacts in Beijing, Demetriou and the rest of the delegation had separate meetings with the President of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Huning, in the presence of high-rank members of the Conference and with the Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) Liu Jianchao.

During the two meetings, it said, the President of the Parliament emphasised that the presence in China of the leaders of the three largest parliamentary parties sends a strong message of the great importance that Cyprus attaches to the further strengthening of its relations and cooperation with China, in a wide range of sectors, such as economy, trade, investment and business, shipping, tourism, as well as education and culture.

Demetriou underlined - according to the press release - the traditionally close ties of friendship between Cyprus and China, based on common principles, mutual respect and solidarity. She reaffirmed Cyprus’ commitment to the “One China” principle and, at the same time, expressed deep appreciation for China's commitment to “One Cyprus” and for its principled stand and firm support of as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, regarding the Cyprus problem and the efforts for its settlement.

The President of the Parliament emphasised that, “despite the growing intransigence and the unacceptable claims of the Turkish side regarding a “two-state” solution, our side remains committed to the goal of resuming negotiations to reach a solution, in accordance with international law and the relevant UN Resolutions, which will reunite Cyprus in conditions of lasting peace and security, for the benefit of all Cypriots, but also of the wider region”.

Cyprus, she stressed, recognises the important position of China in the international political scene and based on the common commitment of China and Cyprus to multilateralism, she noted that she looks forward to further cooperation between the two countries, to deal with the current global challenges and crises, it said.

According to the press release, Demetriou noted the imperative need for the international community to defend fundamental principles of international law and demonstrate the same determination in all cases of violations of international legality. She also referred to the added value of parliamentary exchanges and parliamentary diplomacy to achieve these goals.

She also underlined that China was an important partner of the European Union and emphasised Cyprus’ readiness to continue playing a constructive role in further strengthening the dialogue and cooperation between the EU and China, according to the announcement.

On the part of the Chinese officials, it said, “sincere appreciation was expressed for Cyprus' firm commitment to the “One China” principle but also for the support of the Republic of Cyprus, as an EU member state, in EU-China dialogue and cooperation. At the same time, the two Ministers “reaffirmed China’s continued support for “One Cyprus”, based on the principles of international law, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, which, as they stressed, should govern international relations.”

The President of the CPPCC, Wang Huning noted, the statement added, “that China remains committed to further upgrading its strategic partnership with Cyprus, based on common principles and within the framework of the initiative of the President of China “One Belt-One Road”, as well as the other global initiatives announced by Xi Jinping, on development, security and culture.”

As the Parliament reports, he underlined that “this China-Cyprus strategic cooperation is a brilliant example of excellent cooperative relations between states of different sizes, based on mutual respect and common principles, to face common challenges.”

The press release added that the Minister of the IDCPC, Liu Jianchao, emphasised that “despite its small size, Cyprus has an important strategic position in the Eastern Mediterranean region. He also noted the need for strengthened political consultations between China and Cyprus for the discussion and exchange of views on key issues of international interest”.

In the afternoon, the delegation was to visit the Museum of the Communist Party of China.

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.