At an event in north London on Thursday hosted by Theresa Villiers MP, the recently appointed Chairman of the Conservative Party, Richard Holden MP, met prominent members of the British Cypriot community.
This was his first visit to a local Conservative event in his new Cabinet role as chairman. Attendees included Mrs Andre Chris, Doros Partasides, George Hadjipavlis, and Pantelis Demosthenous. As the guest of honour, Mr Holden was formally presented with the book "Faces of Cyprus" by Doros Partasides.
Speaking after the event, which took place in Highgate, Theresa Villiers said, "I have introduced successive Conservative Party chairmen to my friends in the Cypriot community. It was great to be able to welcome Richard to north London to meet my constituents."
"This was a crucial opportunity to talk to the new party chairman about Cyprus and the importance of ensuring the UK Government remains strongly engaged in supporting efforts to find a negotiated settlement to reunite the island."
"The group 'Conservative Friends of Cyprus' play a significant role in the Conservative Party and they were well represented at this evening's event. Through the years, CF Cyprus have met many leading figures in Government and always make the case for freedom for Cyprus with great determination and sincerity."
"This event was another demonstration of the Conservative Party's enthusiasm for engaging with the British Cypriot community, to hear their views, and support the search for a just, balanced and lasting solution to restore freedom to Cyprus and bring its communities back together."
