Speaker: “Europe can only be made strong thanks to strong nation states”

“We were friends with Cyprus earlier than we became allies in the European Union,” Speaker of Parliament László Kövér told a press conference during a visit to Cyprus on Thursday.

During his visit, Kövér had talks with Cyprian counterpart Annita Demetriou, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, representatives of the Hungary’s Friends group in the Cyprian parliament, as well as committee members.

In her address in the parliament building, Demetriou highlighted the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Hungary. She said Cyprus sought closer bilateral ties not only at the level of speakers but among parliamentary friendship groups and committees, too.

Demetriou thanked Hungary for its assistance in efforts to resolve Cyprus’s territorial and border issues.

Kövér said Hungary and Cyprus were “reliable allies” in the European Union and underlined ties that went back to times before Hungary’s EU accession. Many Cypriot that had studied in Hungary still maintained contacts with Hungarian friends and “consider Hungary as a second, honorary homeland”, he added.

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Concerning economic cooperation, Kövér called for “shared opportunities in areas offering mutual benefits”, mentioning water purification and farming. Negotiations between the agricultural committees of the two parliaments to promote cooperation are ongoing, he noted.

Kövér also noted the two countries’ shared position that

“Europe can only be made strong thanks to strong nation states”,

and called for a continuous coordination of positions with regard to current disputes concerning the future of Europe.

Kövér extended an invitation to Demetriou to continue the talks in Hungary, which she accepted.