The Speaker of the House of Representatives Annita Dimitriou will have a meeting with the President of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, and with the Prime Minister of the country, Ana Brnabic, in Belgrade today.
Specifically, the Speaker of Parliament will meet at 11:00 am Cyprus time with her Serbian counterpart and then will have a meeting in the Serbian Parliament with a delegation of the Women's Parliamentary Network.
At 13.30, Ms. Dimitriou will meet with the Prime Minister of Serbia and will then attend a working lunch hosted by the President of the Serbia-Cyprus Friendship Group in the Serbian Parliament, Biljana Padic Pilia.
In the afternoon, the Speaker of the House of Representatives will meet with the Minister of Youth and Sports, Vanja Udovicic.
Afterwards, Ms. Dimitriou will visit and hand over a financial contribution to the ‟Mungosiˮ institution for children with disabilities and developmental disabilities and for the purchase of basic necessities for a hostel for abused women and their children.
He will then visit sites of historical and cultural interest in Belgrade.
In the evening, the President of the National Assembly of Serbia will host a formal dinner in honor of Ms. Dimitriou.
Meeting with the Patriarch of Serbia Porphyrios
Besides, on Sunday night, the Speaker of the Parliament met with the Patriarch of Serbia, Porphyrios, with whom he discussed the problems faced by the two peoples and the pandemic.
The Speaker of Parliament expressed her joy that she begins her official visit to Serbia by the Patriarchate and Patriarch Porphyrios.
He said that they discussed several issues and stressed the excellent fraternal ties between Cyprus and Serbia.
Ms. Dimitriou also said that the two countries share a history, adding that “both peoples have suffered for several years.”
“It is for this reason that we emphasize again and again through diplomacy that peace, security and stability must be restored in our countries,” he stressed.
It is for this reason, also said Ms. Dimitriou, “that the House of Representatives, at its appropriate level, in parliamentary activity, will do everything we can in this direction.”
Finally, the Speaker of Parliament wished that the ordeal with the pandemic was coming to an end and announced that he had invited “His Beatitude to be able to visit Cyprus as soon as possible, under better conditions”, to exchange suggestions and initiatives aimed at “Strengthen legitimacy, international law, principles and values” which they share.
On his part, the Patriarch of Serbia welcomed the Speaker of Parliament and her entourage to Serbia and stressed that “Cyprus and Serbia have been sister countries for centuries.”
“In the face of those present here, I met all the brothers in Cyprus and especially brothers who share the same faith,” he underlined.
The Patriarch wished that God give, first of all, peace, health and love “to all the Cypriot brothers”.
“When we have God in the first place in our lives, everyone else will occupy the right place so that God is with the Cypriot brothers,” he added.
Finally, he wished that the coronavirus pandemic would pass and that “we would be able to see each other face to face without any difficulties”.
Afterwards, the Speaker of Parliament attended a working dinner hosted in her honor by the country's Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic.
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