Caroline Nokes MP has been elected as new Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cyprus during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Parliament on Wednesday.
Sir Roger Gale MP stepped down as Chair after a lengthy and successful term of office. He was elected as the APPG’s Honorary President as a recognition of his commitment and dedication to Cyprus and the work of the APPG.
Sir Roger thanked the Parliamentarians for their steadfast cooperation and support whilst he led the group saying that he was “pleased to hand on the Chairmanship of the APPG for Cyprus to Caroline Nokes” and that he was “proud to have been invited to become the Group’s Honorary President.”
“I look forward to supporting Caroline in her work to facilitate a lasting & peaceful resolution to the illegal Turkish occupation of the northern part of Cyprus and strengthen UK-Cyprus ties,” he noted.
Speaking after her election, Caroline Nokes said that “it’s a huge honour to have been elected Chair of the APPG for Cyprus”. Having praised Sir Roger’s longstanding dedication as Chair she said that she “will continue to work on a cross-party basis to see the restoration of negotiations” reiterating that the only acceptable solution is a “bizonal, bicommunal, federation.”
She went on to say that next year will be “50 years since the invasion by Turkey… it is such a serious issue and one that we cannot afford to let drop.”
In closing, Caroline Nokes said that the UK has historically had a role to play and I want to make sure that the Parliament of the United Kingdom continues to work hand in hand with our friends in Cyprus.”
Also present at the AGM were Bambos Charalambous MP (virtually), Theresa Villiers MP, Catherine West MP, Fabian Hamilton MP, Peter Grant MP and Lord Truscott.
Christos Karaolis was also re-appointed as the Secretariat of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cyprus. “I’d like to thank Sir Roger for his continued dedication to Cyprus for the last four plus decades and his steadfast Chairmanship of the Cyprus APPG over many years. I know that his passion for Cyprus will continue as the Group’s new Honorary President,” he said.
“I’m delighted that Caroline Nokes MP was elected as Chair of the Cyprus APPG. She has been a vocal and strong supporter of Cyprus over the last decade and has visited the island on many occasions. I’m really looking forward to continuing to work with Caroline and all the Officers to strengthen UK-Cyprus relations and to end the Turkish occupation & deliver a free, united Cyprus,” he added.
The full new team of the APPG for Cyprus is:
Chair: Caroline Nokes MP (Romsey and Southampton North, Conservative)
Vice-Chairs:Fabian Hamilton MP (Leeds North East, Labour), Theresa Villiers MP (Chipping Barnet, Conservative), Chris Stephens MP (Glasgow South West, Scottish National Party)
Honorary President: Sir Roger Gale MP (North Thanet, Conservative)
Honorary Secretary: Bambos Charalambous MP (Enfield, Southgate, Labour)
Honorary Treasurer: Matthew Offord MP (Hendon, Conservative)
Honorary Officers: Christine Jardine MP (Edinburgh West, Liberal Democrat), Rachel Hopkins MP (Luton South, Labour), Lord Adonis (Labour), Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour).
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
Listen to Caroline Nokes MP
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