The round of contacts of the delegation mission of the Municipality of Famagusta to Washington and New York between 4-8 December 2023 regarding the issue of Famagusta has been completed. The delegation consisted of the Mayor, Dr. Simos Ioannou, the Deputy Mayor and representative of AKEL Mr. Chrysantho Zannettou, Mr. Michalis Vassiliou, Head of the Municipal Team of DISY and Ms. Marilena Manoli, Municipal Secretary of the Municipality of Famagusta. In Washington, the delegation had various contacts with congressional representatives, such as the following:
• Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) Co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus and the Congressional Hellenic Israeli Alliance,
• Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) Member of the Hellenic Caucus,
• Chris Pappas (D-NH) Co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus and the Congressional Hellenic Israeli Alliance,
• and John Sarbanes (D – MD) Member of the Hellenic Caucus.
The Mayor, after informing them about the current situation in Famagusta and the change in the status quo, asked them to mediate as much as they can to prevent the status quo in Famagusta from changing, the American government to focus on restarting the talks by putting on the table the issue of Famagusta as a driving force for the overall resolution of the Cyprus issue. The senators pledged to prepare a special resolution in the context of 50 years since the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus in 1974. The Mayor invited the senators to go to Cyprus and visit Famagusta so that they could see for themselves the alteration of the status quo.
Within the framework of the meetings, a working lunch was arranged with those responsible for Cyprus at the State Department and at the White House, Mr. Michael Kidwell, Dep. Director, Office of Southern European Affair, Ms. Eva Helene d'Ambrosio, Unit Chief for Greece, Cyprus, and Malta and Ms. Brigid J. Ryan, Dir. for Southern Europe and South Caucasus as well as with the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), representatives of organizations such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and other organizations and "think tanks" ). All meetings were arranged in cooperation with the Embassy of Cyprus in Washington led by Ambassador Mr. Evangelos Savvas.
In New York, the Municipality's Delegation had the opportunity for the first time to have meetings at the United Nations and to transfer the positions of the Municipality to representatives of the General Assembly. of the United Nations Mr. Antonio Guterres.
Meetings were held with the following:
• Mr. Stephen Mathias, UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs,
• Mr. Charles Anyidoho from the UN Secretariat and Director of the Europe and Central Asia Directorate.
In the latter, the Mayor delivered a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations which states the positions of the Board of Directors regarding the implementation of resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), the immediate return to talks for a solution to the Cyprus issue after Crans Montana, but also the appointment of a special envoy to restart the talks.
Meetings were also arranged with representatives of the permanent delegations of the 5 permanent members of the Security Council to the UN in coordination with the Permanent Delegation of Cyprus to the United Nations.
• The representative of the Permanent Mission of China Mr. Sun Zhiqiang Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of China,
• Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Ms. Anna Evstigneeva.
• Meeting with representatives of the Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the UN. etc
The Delegation also had a working lunch with our new Representative to the United Nations Ms. Maria Michael.
On Friday, December 8, the delegation in the presence of our Consul in New York, Mr. Michalis Phyrilla, had the honor to meet with the Archbishop of America and inform him of the actions of the Board of Directors regarding Famagusta and receive his undivided support for the citizens of Famagusta but also the whole Cypriot people.
The contacts of the Municipality were concluded with a dinner given in honor of the Delegation by the organizations of the Parish of Cyprus on Friday evening. The President of PSEKA, Mr. Philip Christopher, as well as Mr. Kyriakos Papastylianou, President of the Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America, thanked the delegation of the Municipality for its presence in America and conveyed the message that they remain on the side of both the people of Famagusta and the entire Cypriot people for a solution of the Cyprus problem.
