President heads to Council of Europe address

President Nikos Christodoulides departs on Monday for Strasbourg, where he is set to address the plenary session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on Tuesday.

During his stay in Strasbourg, Christodoulides will hold meetings with several officials of the Council of Europe.

Specifically, on Tuesday morning, the President will take part in a working breakfast with Cypriot and Greek members of the EU Parliament.

Afterwards, he will visit the building of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where he will sign the visitors book.

Private meetings will follow, once the election procedures for the new leadership of the Assembly take place.

Later, President Christodoulides will attend a lunch hosted in his honour by the newly elected president of PACE, before addressing the plenary session and responding to questions from members and representatives of various party groups.

In his speech before the PACE plenary session, Christodoulides will discuss, among other topics, the current phase of the Cyprus problem and the new effort initiated after the appointment of the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar.

He will also touch upon the role played by the international community in the resolution efforts, as well as regional developments and the significant role of the Council of Europe in safeguarding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

Christodoulides will then visit the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM), where he will meet the president of the ECHR Síofra O’Leary.

In the evening, the president will attend a reception hosted by the permanent representation of the Republic in Strasbourg.

Accompanied by government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, the deputy director of the President’s diplomatic office Doros Venizis and other officials, Christodoulides is scheduled to return to Cyprus on January 24.