President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou received on Thursday the High Commissioner of Australia, Fiona McKergow, on the occasion of the completion of her term of office in Cyprus.
They exchanged views on Cyprus issue, the upcoming Cyprus EU Presidency and the bilateral cooperation between the High Commission and the Cyprus Parliament, according to an official announcement.
Demetriou expressed her gratitude for the good cooperation during McKergow’s tenure and for her active contribution to the further promotion of relations and cooperation between the two countries and to the promotion of Australian culture and the arts in Cyprus, through the support of cultural exchanges and collaborations.
She also expressed her appreciation for Australia’s firm position of principles and long-standing support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, on the basis of international law and the United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Referring to current developments Demetriou expressed hope that soon there will be substantive negotiations within the framework of the UN, towards achieving a solution that would reunite Cyprus and which, as she pointed out, could potentially be a catalyst for the establishment of peace in the wider region.
She also noted that the assumption by the Republic of Cyprus of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union January 1st, would be an opportunity to further highlight Cyprus’ stabilizing role in a volatile region.
The Australian High Commissioner reaffirmed her country’s strong support for efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.
McKergow praised the very good relations that Cyprus maintains with its neighboring countries and the extremely important role it plays, due to its strategic geographical location, as a pillar of security in the wider region.
They also exchanged views on issues of broader interest, with an emphasis on challenges to democracy, such as extremist ideologies and hate speech, particularly on social media, as well as the need to defend human rights, especially those of women, children and vulnerable groups.
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 due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
In 2025 the Secretary-General hosted two informal meetings on Cyprus, in March in Geneva and in July in New York, while a tripartite meeting with the Cyprus leaders was also held in late September, at the end of the UN General Assembly High Level Week. A new informal meeting in broader format is expected to take place.
María Angela Holguín, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties, while former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, designated by the Commission as Special Envoy for Cyprus, is also expected to contribute to the settlement process, in cooperation with Holguín.