"We will never accept a 'two-state' solution, as it would legitimize the fait accompli of the Turkish invasion and occupation," said House Speaker Anita Dimitriou, on Friday, calling on Turkey to comply with its international obligations and to put an end to the provocations and illegal unilateral actions aimed at creating new facts on the ground.
According to a statement from the House of Representatives, in her remarks on the second day of the European Conference of Speakers of Parliament, which concluded on Friday in Rome, Ms. Dimitriou emphasized that respect for international law is a fundamental prerequisite for the restoration of justice and human rights in Cyprus.
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Referring to the Cyprus issue, she noted that 52 years after the Turkish invasion, with more than one-third of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus still under occupation, the Greek Cypriot side looks forward to the resumption of substantive negotiations, within the framework of the United Nations, with the aim of reaching a solution based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as set forth in the relevant UN resolutions, for the liberation and reunification of Cyprus.
The Speaker of the House also criticized the international community’s double standards, noting that the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, despite their obvious similarities, are not treated with the same sensitivity and determination.
“Violations of international law, regardless of their origin, must be addressed with consistency and accountability,” Ms. Dimitriou emphasized.
Ms. Dimitriou highlighted the significant contribution of parliamentary diplomacy—as a complement to traditional diplomacy—to the defense of international law, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as in shaping and implementing governments’ international commitments through legislative work and the exercise of parliamentary oversight.
Parliamentary diplomacy, he noted, by keeping channels of communication open, bridges differences and fosters a climate of trust and cooperation, creating the conditions for meaningful dialogue, both within states and at the international level.
As stated in the Parliament’s press release, Ms. Dimitriou called on parliaments to take an active and leading role in renewing and strengthening the international legal order, ensuring that international law, cooperation, and accountability remain the cornerstones of international peace and security and essential prerequisites for a safer and more just future.
On the second day of the Conference, the Speaker of the House participated in a discussion on “Renewing the Rules-Based International Order: The Role of Parliaments in Addressing and Responding to Contemporary Crises.”
The Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament emphasized that the fundamental principles that established the international legal order following the devastation of World War II—namely, the equality of states, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law, the peaceful resolution of disputes, and the protection of human rights, are being tested today more than ever.
The intensifying geopolitical instability, the pursuit of self-serving interests by powerful states, and the democratic backsliding observed in Europe, Ms. Dimitriou noted, “are undermining the foundations of the international system, jeopardizing the security, resilience, and stability of democratic institutions.”
She added that an unwavering commitment to these principles, combined with the strengthening of multilateral cooperation, is the only effective way to address the complex challenges of our time.
It was noted that he also made special mention of small European states, such as Cyprus, which, unable to rely on military power, have a vital interest in the existence of a binding international framework of principles, applied consistently and without discrimination to all states, regardless of size or scope.
Ms. Dimitriou noted that during Cyprus’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) in the first half of 2026, the importance of joint action based on principles and a collective approach to challenges was highlighted, as was Cyprus’s role as a pillar of security and stability at the southeasternmost edge of the EU.
