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Joint statement following the meeting of the Archbishop of Nova Justiniana and All Cyprus, Chrysostomos II, and Mr Ahmet Yonluer, Turkish Cypriot Director of Religious Affairs, hosted by the President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly René van der Linden

Ledra Palace Hotel, Nicosia, 21 February 2007

The two religious representatives said they were delighted to meet for the first time, and warmly welcomed the initiative of PACE President René van der Linden to bring them together. There was goodwill on both sides, and a positive and sincere discussion took place.

The two leaders discussed ways that they could contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of trust and tolerance, to set an example to the people and politicians of Cyprus.

The two leaders agreed they would meet again soon. They agreed to take practical steps to promote respect for places of worship in all parts of the island, including efforts to ensure their restoration.

As a first step, they agreed to work towards the goal of enabling worship at the Hala Sultan Tekke Mosque in Larnaca and the Apostolos Andreas Monastery in the Karpas Peninsula.

They hoped this would mark the beginning of a long relationship of mutual trust, which would contribute to a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, PACE President René van der Linden emphasised that inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue was a priority of his Presidency, and stressed that this historic first meeting had been an excellent example.

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