In addition to our critical remarks and questions we have put to the Foreign Minister about the Budget, we have reiterated for yet another year the need for an increase in the funding of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which remains very low compared to the overall State Budget.

Beyond that, we had the opportunity to ask a number of political questions related to the Foreign Ministry and the Minister himself.

Regrettably, the Foreign Minister diligently avoided giving answers on so many important questions.
He did not reply to our question whether he agrees with yesterday’s statement by President Anastasiades, who – more or less – portrayed AKEL as an internal enemy, calling on it to express the Greek Cypriots too besides those he evidently meant.
The Foreign Minister also deliberately avoided commenting on the measures taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and what his own responsibilities are as to the consequences and serious ramifications of the government’s Citizenship-by-Investment program and the fact that our country is being ridiculed internationally, through the erroneous handling that has been made by the President Anastasiades.

Likewise, the Foreign Minister declined to comment on the erroneous assessments made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government about the possibilities that the Government was claiming Turkey didn’t have to proceed to exploratory illegal drillings in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone. Nor was he able to give a reply to specific statements made by President Anastasiades and the Government creating illusions and false impressions that the forging of military cooperation with various countries Cyprus could effectively address the challenging of the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereign rights.
We leave people to judge the Foreign Minister, as well as the Government, for their inability to provide any answers whatsoever.
In this case silence definitely wasn’t gold.
Statements by AKEL Parliamentary Spokesperson Y. Loucaides following the discussion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Budget for 2020
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 4th November 2019, Nicosia