Meeting with the S.A. Ambassador of the Netherlands Elke Merks-Schaapveld

In a friendly atmosphere, we had a meeting today with the S.A. Ambassador of the Netherlands, Mrs. Elke Merks-Schaapveld. The main objective of the meeting was to inform Mrs Merks-Schaapveld about the situation of LGBTI+ rights in Cyprus. 

Among other things, reference was made to the condemnation last month of Hungary and its new anti-LGBTI+ laws by a group of 18 Member States of the European Union, including Cyprus and the Netherlands. It is recalled that the new Hungarian legislation prohibits the teaching or display of LGBTI+ subjects in school educational materials and television programmes aimed at people under the age of 18.

At the meeting I thanked sa mr. Merks-Shaarverd on the Netherlands' long-term support for LGBTI+ issues in both Cyprus and Europe, and reference was also made to the European Governmental LGBTI+ Focal Points Network, which Cyprus now chairs together with the United Kingdom and which the Netherlands has supported over time with know-how and money.

Finally, reference was also made to the situation of the LGBTI+ movement in Cyprus at this time and ways that this could be supported by the Embassy of the Netherlands in the future.