TURK-CYPRIOTS AND GREEK-CYPRIOTS DRAW LESSONS FROM NORTHERN IRELAND

Representatives of political parties of Cypriots-Greeks and Cypriots-Turks visited Northern Ireland. They participated in the Cyprus Dialogue Forum and studied the experience of implementing the so-called Good Friday Agreement.

Eight political parties were represented at the forum: four from Cypriots-Turks (CTP, DP, HP, and UBP) and four from Cypriots-Greeks - Akel, Disy, Dipa, and the Green Party.

The Cyprus Dialogue Forum suggests considering the implementation of the Northern Ireland approach to negotiations and the acceptance of the Good Friday Agreement, which brought peace to the region for over two and a half decades.

Irish diplomat and member of the Irish government delegation during the peace process in Northern Ireland, Tim O'Connor, spoke to the participants, providing insights into the political background of the Northern Irish conflict and the philosophy underlying the negotiation plan.

In addition, the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Alex Maskey, shared the difficulties faced during the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, is a memorandum on the political settlement of the conflict in Northern Ireland, involving the creation of autonomous governing bodies. It also includes various measures addressing political and constitutional aspects of the Northern Irish conflict.