Interior minister meets with Dipa party leader

The interior ministry aims to have a communication with all the political forces, Constantinos Ioannou said on Thursday after a meeting with centrist party Dipa.

Among the issues discussed were immigration, housing, and local government.

The meeting was part of the framework of informing the parties – and especially the cooperating parties – about the government’s priorities regarding the interior ministry, Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said.

“Our goal is to have a two-way communication with all political forces, because only in this way we can move forward and reach an understanding,” he declared.

Ioannou briefed the Dipa leader Marios Karayian on the migration issue, what emerged from his recent contacts in Brussels in relation to the Eastern Mediterranean Action Plan, the infrastructure projects underway in Cyprus, as well as the strengthening of the office on returns.

He added that they discussed the progress of the ”Ktizo” project for refugee housing, “which is progressing very well so far”, he said, as well as the housing issue.

The minister said he had asked the party to convey its positions on individual issues to him for consideration in planning. He said Dipa has assured him that it will be in constant contact with him on the various issues of concern to the ministry of interior.

For his part, Karoyian said the two had a “a very substantive and creative discussion”.

“We feel that, based on what the minister has told us, we are moving in the right direction,” he said, noting that the interior ministry is one “with many challenges but also with many potentials”.

He said Ioannou, who served as health minister during the coronavirus pandemic, is “particularly sensitive” to issues of immigration, housing policy and refugees.

The party leader expressed confidence that the new interior minister, through his experience and knowledge over the years, is giving those steps to overcome important problems and close burning issues that have been of concern to society and citizens.

He added that he has agreed to be in close contact with him, hoping that together with other political parties, “we can move quickly to solve serious problems”.

The meeting took place at the offices of Dipa, in Strovolos, on Thursday morning.