Athens, 2 February 2024

Members of Greek Parliamentary Delegation to Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) hold meetings with UK counterparts

The Greek parliamentary delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), headed by former European Commissioner and MP Dimitris Avramopoulos and with members, the Secretar General of the Parliamentary Group of New Democracy, Stavros Kalafatis, and MPs Christos Dermentzopoulos (New Democracy), Dionysia Avgerinopoulou (New Democracy), Symeon Kedikoglou (Syriza) and Panagiotis Doudonis (PASOK-KINAL), travelled to London to hold a series of meetings with the corresponding delegation of the UK Parliament. 

During the visit, meetings were held with a specific agenda, which included climate change, migration, defence and the Parthenon Sculptures. The Greek delegation presented the Greek position on the various items.

At the same time, Mr Avramopoulos analysed the geopolitical developments in the wider region, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East, Greek-Turkey relations and great importance for the Eastern Mediterranean of the resolution of the Cyprus issue, where the UK plays an important role. 

The meetings were held with MPs-members of both Houses of the UK parliament: Karen Bradley, Head of the UK delegation to the IPU, Dan Carden, Vicky Ford, Alberto Costa, Baroness Bonham-Carter, Derek Twigg, Baroness Anelay, Tim Loughton, Baroness D'Souza, Baroness Hooper, Lord Jackson, Lorn Cromwell and Lord Dholakia. 

All meetings were held in a very cordial atmosphere of mutual understanding and beyond the inter-governmental relations, the importance was high-lighted of closer cooperation between the two Parliaments.

On the sidelines of the meetings, Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos had the opportunity to meet with former UK PM Theresa May, as well as with Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate, both of whom he cooperated with closely when he was European Commissioner for Security and Migration. 

Lastly, Greece is taking up an array of initiatives to upgrade and to strengthen the IPU in general, with concrete proposals that will be presented in New York next week, as Mr Avramopoulos will travel to New York to hold a series of meetings. 

The meeting, on the theme "Putting an end to conflicts: Prescriptions for a peaceful future", will be an IPU parliamentary hearing at the UN, around the main axes of the priorities of the UN General Assembly Presidency, namely international peace and security.  

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