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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 13 Hansard (26 November) . . Page.. 4710 ..

MRS CROSS (continuing):

Mr Deputy Speaker, last July marked the 29th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The persistence of the people of Cyprus and, with the official admission of Cyprus into the European Union approaching, expectations are rising that Cyprus will be reunited under the umbrella of nations of the EU. Cyprus' strong economy is providing a springboard to resolving the Cyprus problem via its EU membership. Indeed, Mr Deputy Speaker, the Greek government for decades has given as much help as possible via the United Nations and Kofi Annan to assist in this objective.

We see our Cypriot neighbours as our brothers and our sisters. Unfortunately, even the efforts of Kofi Annan, who drafted a plan to work with the two sides to resolve the occupation issue, were at the last moment in The Hague rejected by the Turkish government. It is our hope that in the not too distant future we will be celebrating a free Cyprus as a member of the European community and the European family.

I would at this point, Mr Deputy Speaker, like to acknowledge a number of people who have in fact worked tirelessly on the Greek-Cypriot relationship and on the occupation issue: the Greek Ambassador to the ACT, Mr Fotios Xydas, and the former High Commissioner for Cyprus, Mr Sotos Liassides, who worked tirelessly on the Turkish occupation matter and the ongoing relationship between Greece and Turkey; the president of the Cypriot community in the ACT, Mrs Georgia Alexandrou, with the support of course of her husband, Chris; in addition, members of the Cypriot High Commission. In fact, we have with us today Mr Andreas Kneknas from the Cypriot High Commission's media office.

There are in fact countless people who have worked tirelessly on this issue for almost 30 years. My father served as a member of the Greek diplomatic service, and one of his responsibilities when he was posted back to Athens was working on the relationship between Greece and Cyprus and Greece and Turkey and in fact assisting Cyprus on the Turkish occupation issue.

It is something that I have grown up around and with, and it has become more strongly highlighted to me since coming into contact with people that have been adversely affected, people whose lives were turned upside down, people who were scattered around the world.

MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Please address your remarks through the chair.

MRS CROSS: Yes, I know. I like looking at you too. They were exposed to the most horrendous circumstances. These people are to be admired for their courage in not only maintaining their heritage and their culture but assimilating so well in this country. My admiration for them is unbounded.

What I would like to say at this point, Mr Deputy Speaker, is this: as an Australian of Greek origin-I can speak on behalf not only of the Greek people of the ACT but the people of Australia, and I have spoken in fact even this morning to the Greek Ambassador-the Greeks will not stop assisting Cyprus until Cyprus has its land back, until Cyprus has its country back and until the Cypriots can continue again to move around their country without feeling like they are prisoners in their own country. I mean the country in its entirety plus the 37 percent.

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