Cypriot MPs Applaud Despite Ban Following Ararat Mirzoyan's Speech

I had the honor to speak in the Cypriot parliament. I was previously informed that applauding was almost banned in the Cypriot parliament, and I was deeply surprised and moved when the chamber applauded after my speech. This was noted by the President of the National Assembly, Ararat Mirzoyan, on his Facebook page.

He presented his speech with some cuts: “Aristotle, speaking about friendship, categorized it into three groups: friends of pleasure, friends of utility, and real friends. I want to state from this high podium that history has shown that the Armenian and Cypriot peoples are real friends, and Armenia and Cyprus are real friends.

Throughout the centuries, Armenians and Cypriots have fought against Ottoman oppression, and today we, the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Cyprus, each in our place, have taken on a unique mission to counter Turkey's expansionist and aggressive policies. And we are fulfilling this mission by supporting each other on vital issues.

As you know, Armenia has always advocated for the establishment of diplomatic relations with Turkey without preconditions and for the opening of borders, which is not accepted by the leadership of our neighboring republic. Furthermore, Armenian-Turkish relations are constantly discussed in the context of third-party interests, which is absolutely unacceptable and leads to instability and the continuation of military conflict in the region.

As you know, the peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group has been and will remain the only internationally mandated format by the global community. The security and status of Artsakh are priorities for Armenia, and the issue cannot be resolved without the decisive voice of Nagorno-Karabakh, a fundamental party to the conflict.

In the context of the Cyprus issue, we constantly emphasize that although Armenia and Cyprus utilize various international legal tools on the way to resolving primary issues, this does not hinder us from supporting each other. I am more than confident that the day is inevitable when the efforts of the fraternal Cypriot people for the restoration of justice and the reunification of Cyprus will be crowned with victory.

I cannot fail to address Turkey's encroachments on the exclusive economic zone of the Republic of Cyprus, which is unacceptable and has been condemned by the international community. Such destructive and illegal actions by Turkey do not contribute to ensuring regional security and stability.

Our friendly Cyprus has also played a crucial role in the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Today I am in a parliament that was the first country in Europe and the second in the world to recognize the Armenian Genocide in 1975.

I express my deep gratitude to the House of Representatives of Cyprus for declaring April 24 as a state day of remembrance for the Armenian Genocide, and for unanimously adopting the resolution criminalizing the denial of genocides in 2015. Armenia and Cyprus have repeatedly proven their loyalty to universal values and reaffirmed their commitment to continuous efforts aimed at preventing genocides.

The Armenian community, which found refuge in Cyprus over a hundred years ago, fleeing the genocide perpetrated by Turkish criminals in the Ottoman Empire, plays a unique role and contribution in bilateral relations between Armenia and Cyprus. We are grateful to the Cypriot friendly people for sheltering these Armenians and providing them the opportunity to live fully and create in their new homeland.

It is encouraging that even today, Cypriot Armenians are participating and contributing to the social and political life of Cyprus and to the development of Cyprus.

Speaking of future plans, I must say that for Armenia, cooperation with Cyprus holds special significance in the context of Armenia-EU relations. In this regard, I express my gratitude to you for the ratification of the agreement signed between Armenia and the European Union by the House of Representatives of Cyprus just days ago. For Armenia, it is an important format of multi-layered cooperation.

I also emphasize the significance of the trilateral format of Armenia-Cyprus-Greece cooperation. It creates new perspectives for deepening multi-layered interactions among the participating countries. I am confident that the formation of a parliamentary platform for cooperation will enable the sides to utilize the full potential of cooperation more effectively.

Let me conclude my thoughts on the past, present, and future of two friends. There have been times when we shared sorrow together, and there will come times when we must achieve victories together for the peoples of Armenia and Cyprus, for the restoration and preservation of justice, human rights, and values.

Long live Cyprus, long live Armenia, long live the eternal friendship of Armenians and Cypriots!