On Tuesday, President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou met with Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, who is in Cyprus as part of the events commemorating the dark anniversaries of 1974 and the annual global conference of AHEPA.
During the meeting, they discussed the Cyprus issue and migration and also exchanged views on the problem of hate speech.
A statement from the House of Representatives said that in welcoming the Archbishop of America, the President of the House emphasized that the survival of Hellenism in Cyprus depends on the unity and joint efforts of Hellenes worldwide to resolve the Cyprus problem based on the agreed settlement framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation as stipulated in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
She noted that Cyprus ranks first in terms of illegal and irregular migrant arrivals relative to its population, and pointed out that the surge in the migration problem is also due to the instrumentalization of the situation by Turkey.
The Archbishop of America expressed his emotion for his visit to the martyred island of Cyprus and underlined the support of the Holy Archdiocese of America for the longstanding and continuous efforts of the Republic of Cyprus for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the reunification of the island.
He stressed that the Greek Diaspora in the U.S. remains focused on Cyprus and, with the support of AHEPA, provides multifaceted support to the ongoing struggle of the Cypriot people.
Regarding the dangers posed by the spread of hate speech and extremism, it was noted that these issues pose serious threats to democracy, the rule of law, and institutions such as parliaments and churches.
“It is our responsibility to protect these institutions and to support the truth, regardless of the cost, against populism and fake news,” stressed Ms. Demetriou.
Views were also exchanged on current issues of common interest, particularly as they relate to the Greek-American community.
Source: anamniseis.net
