The government’s hypocrisy on the Palestinian issue undermines our struggle on the Cyprus problem

Statements by Giorgos Loukaides, AKEL Parliamentary Representative, following the debate on the 2024 Budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee

 

21 November 2023

The Foreign Affairs Ministry budget remains at a very low 1% of the state budget. As AKEL, like the other political forces, we have expressed our readiness to approve an increase in the budget, as this has added value to our efforts, not only in relation to the Cyprus problem internationally, but more generally in promoting the Cyprus problem in the region and around the world.

Of course, at the same time, we stressed the need for our foreign policy to be correctly oriented and to serve principles because, as a country under occupation, as a people who are confronted with the violation of international law by Turkey, as a small nation, we cannot afford the luxury – even if we were to – to act on the basis of double standards, to act in a hypocritical way.

Today we are faced with a very sad, wretched reality. Namely, that the Cypriot Government, which represents our country, is the only country on the planet that has not criticised in any way whatsoever, not even a trace of criticism, the crimes that are being committed by the State of Israel.

By pursuing such policies in our foreign policy, we are unfortunately destroying any credibility we have as a state and at the same time, we are undermining our very own struggle for liberation from the occupation, the struggle for international law to prevail in our case as well.