During a three-day visit to Cyprus, Young Parliamentarians addressed socio-economic challenges for youth, including affordable housing.NICOSIA/AYIA NAPA, 19 September 2025 – Fifteen members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s (OSCE PA) Network of Young Parliamentarians (NYP), representing nine countries – Armenia, Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, and Poland – today completed a three-day visit to Cyprus focused on regional security, youth participation, and socio-economic challenges. The initiative seeks to strengthen interparliamentary dialogue among young legislators, promote exchange of experiences, and support the OSCE PA’s work on Youth, Peace and Security agenda.
The programme included meetings with the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, national and local authorities, as well as various youth organizations. These exchanges provided opportunities for young MPs to learn more about Cyprus’s priorities and perspectives, while also sharing experiences from across the OSCE area.
“Coming to Cyprus gives young parliamentarians a unique opportunity to hear directly about regional realities and the aspirations of young people here,” said OSCE PA Special Representative on Youth Engagement Lucija Tacer (Slovenia). “By bringing together young MPs from across the OSCE area, we are not only exchanging ideas but also building a common vision for how youth can play a stronger role in shaping peace, security, and prosperity.”
In addition to official meetings, the delegation participated in two thematic sessions at the House of Representatives. The first marked the tenth anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, exploring how parliaments can further integrate youth perspectives into peace and security policies. The second session was focused on challenges and opportunities for affordable housing for young people across the OSCE region, highlighting national experiences and innovative policy approaches.
Michalis Yiacoumi, Vice-Chair of the Network of Young Parliamentarians and the host of the visit highlighted the importance of transforming the discussion into concrete actions. “Focusing on the youth, peace and security agenda as well as on the issue of affordable housing, the visit of the Network of Young Parliamentarians in Cyprus has a clear aim: debates and exchange of best practices must yield concrete results on issues that matter to our youth,” Yiacoumi said.
OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella underlined the broader significance of the initiative: “Young parliamentarians are an essential part of our Assembly’s work. Through visits like this, they demonstrate the value of interparliamentary diplomacy in practice – identifying shared challenges, showcasing innovative solutions, and fostering mutual understanding. This is precisely what the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly was created to achieve.”
For more information about OSCE PA’s work on youth issues and activities of the OSCE PA’s Special Representative on Youth Engagement, please click here.
Photos of the visit to Cyprus are available on Flickr.
