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=?UTF-8?Q?At_the_Knesset=2C_Cyprus_Parliamen?=
At the Knesset, Cyprus Parliament President Omirou says terror attacks ”undermine
efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East”
Publicized: March 9, 2016
http://knesset.gov.il/spokesman/eng/PR_eng.asp?PRID=11987
Cypriot Parliament President Yiannakis L. Omirou visited the Knesset on
Wednesday. He was greeted with an honor guard, and then laid a wreath at the
foot of the memorial for IDF soldiers and signed the Knesset guestbook.
During a joint press conference with Edelstein, held in Chagall State Hall,
the senior Cypriot official expressed his gratitude for being invited to
Israel and for having the opportunity to conduct ”fruitful and constructive
meetings, and exchanges of views, in an effort to strengthen even more the
very good relations between our parliaments and states.”
Omirou expressed his ”deep sympathy” for the victims of the terror attacks
which took place in Israel yesterday and today. ”I have to strongly condemn
these attacks, which undermine the efforts for peace, stability and
cooperation in the Mideast and the wider region,” he stated.
”I am certain that during my visit to Israel I will have fruitful meetings
and exchanges of ideas with the President, Prime Minister, [Knesset] Speaker
and ministers – in order to strengthen even more our relations, which are on
a very good level in many fields,” he told reporters, while mentioning last
week`s trilateral meeting in Nicosia between the foreign affairs committees
of Israel, Cyprus Greece. He also said that the joint military exercise
between the armed forces of Cyprus and Israel, which begins today, ”proves
that the relations between our countries are growing stronger each day.”
Speaker Edelstein welcomed Omirou to Jerusalem and the Knesset, ”the beating
heart of Israeli democracy,” and said ”You are one of Israel`s closest
friends. Your visit here today is part of a series of important measures
that reflect the strengthening of the relations between our countries.”
These measures, he said, include reciprocal visits by the heads of state of
Israel and Cyprus, as well as the establishment of a trilateral strategic
alliance between Cyprus, Greece and Israel.
”I am sure the cooperation between our countries will grow stronger and
flourish,” Edelstein told Omirou. ”I am absolutely certain that our
parliaments will play an important part in developing the ties in the areas
of water resources, environment, cultural exchanges, and other important
projects our countries share.”
Following the press conference, Edelstein and Omirou held a work meeting in
the Knesset Speaker`s bureau with the participation of MK Manuel Trajtenberg
(Zionist Camp), chairman of the Israel-Cyprus Parliamentary Friendship
Group. The President of the Cypriot Parliament also met with opposition
leader MK Isaac Herzog (Zionist Camp).
Later, Omirou and members of his delegation observed a plenary sitting from
the VIP gallery. During the session, Speaker Edelstein welcomed the
delegation, and said Israel would support Cyprus in the aftermath of
economic crisis it experienced.
On Tuesday Knesset Speaker Edelstein hosted Romanian President Klaus Werner
Iohannis and members of his delegation, including the Romanian education and
foreign ministers.
Following a welcome ceremony at the Knesset Plaza, President Iohannis laid a
wreath at the foot of the memorial for fallen IDF soldiers and then signed
the Knesset guestbook in Chagall State Hall. Speaker Edelstein told him, ”You
are a true friend of Israel. Throughout history, the two countries
maintained good relations, and Romania was the only country in the Communist
bloc that never severed ties with us.”
””/
Work meeting between Iohannis and Edelstein (Photo: Itzik Harari)
”Romania has been consistent in its support of Israel and in understanding
its security needs, and it is one of the pioneers in the fight against
anti-Semitism,” the Knesset Speaker added, while calling to boost
cooperation between Israel and Romania – particularly between the
parliaments – with a focus on economics, culture, tourism, education,
environment, water and advancing women`s rights.
President Iohannis said Romania would ”continue its all out war against
anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial and will continue working to put war
criminals on trial. The memory of the Holocaust will continue to be part of
our [curriculum],” the Romanian leader stated.
President Iohannis further said that his country was ”very concerned about
the situation in the Middle East,” adding that ”the peace process is very
important to us, and it has many implications for European countries.” The
Romanian leader thanked his hosts for the medical assistance Israel provided
to the victims of the fire at the ”Colectiv” nightclub in Bucharest about a
year and a half ago. ”Due to the Israeli assistance, the wounded have been
rehabilitated,” he noted.
MK Yoseph Yonah, chairman of the Israel-Romania Parliamentary Friendship
Group, also took part in the meeting between Knesset Speaker Edelstein and
President Iohannis.
Source:
