Cyprus House President starts official visit in Romania

by Demetra Nicolaou

Sinaia, Dec 4 (CNA) — President of the Cypriot House of Representatives Demetris Christofias will hold a meeting this afternoon with Romanian Speaker of the Senate Nicolae Vacaroiu.

Later on, Christofias will meet with Romanian Minister of Industry and Commerce Codrut Seres and the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church Patriarch Teoctist.

Tomorrow he will be meeting Romanian President Traian Basescu and Deputy Prime Minister Marco Bella as well as the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Bogdan Olteanu.

Later in the afternoon there will be a meeting with a delegation of the Cyprus – Romania Chamber of Commerce.

During the first day of his visit, the Cypriot House President has visited several tourist sites at the historic centre of the capital.

He expressed his gratitude to the government and the people of Romania for the “continuous and consistent position of Romania, a position of principles, on the Cyprus cause, a country still struggling against the Turkish occupation”.

“We look to the future and what we see in the countries ahead is a friendship among people, equality, understanding, respect of one’s traditions and the independence, the territorial integrity of the people. I think that the EU offers itself to promote and implement such ideals”, he added.

The House President further assured that Cyprus will make all possible effort to strengthen bilateral relations, especially with the accession of Romania in the Union on 1st January 2007.

Greek origin Romanian MP Sotiris Photopoulos said that the demand of the people is that relations between the two parliaments flourish at all levels.

Christofias is accompanied by Secretary General of the House of Representatives Costakis Christoforou, Director of the House President’s Office Vassos Georgiou and Director of the International Relations Service Socrates Socratous.

Christofias returns home Tuesday evening.