The Minister of National Defence Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos, accompanied by the Chief of HNDGS General Konstantinos Floros completed his official visit to Cyprus, representing the Hellenic Government at the celebration for the 61st anniversary since the declaration of Independence of Cyprus.
In the morning, the Minister attended the laying of wreath to the statue of Archbishop Makarios III by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nikos Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace. Afterwards, he attended the military parade, he met veteran soldiers of Cyprus and delivered the following address:
«Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with special honour and profound emotion that we attend, today,
the celebrations for the 61st anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Cyprus.
This year’s anniversary has a special importance, because it coincides with the celebrations for the 200 years since the beginning of the Revolution for the liberation from the Turkish yoke, the National Revival, the independence of Greece and the establishment of the Modern Greek state.
At this great anniversary for Greece, for the Greek people, for the Greek community and our Nation, we honour all the heroes of the 1821 Revolution. We also honour our Cypriot brothers, who fought with self-sacrifice and heroism at the side of the Greeks. A bright example of them is the heroic Phalanx of Cypriots, who gave their blood during the revolution, at the battle of Athens, at the Exodus of Messolonghi and elsewhere.
Today, during the anniversary of the Independence we bow and pay tribute to all the soldiers from Cyprus and Greece who fought and sacrificed themselves for the Independence and Freedom of the Greek Cypriots. We honour the wounded, the missing and the fighters who fought for the Independence of Cyprus.
The name list of Cypriot heroes who gave their lives is long: Karaolis, Dimitriou, Afxentiou, Pallikaridis, and later on, Isaak, Solomou, they are many. Their sacrifice remains always relevant and it paves the way for a common course that we should follow in order to ensure a fair, viable and functional solution for the Cyprus’ Issue, a solution absolutely conformed to the International Law and the European values and principles, with full sovereignty, total independence and territorial integrity.
Cyprus is the last country in Europe torn apart by an internal Wall, a wall that divides its territory and tears our hearts apart.
Greece was, is and will always be at the side of Cyprus for the vindication of its struggle. And this is something that Cypriot people should know.
Greece and Cyprus, Cyprus and Greece, as member states of the E.U. coordinate their activities at international level to defend their national interests. In parallel, we unite our efforts in order to develop broader regional cooperations, and be the pillars of peace, stability, security and prosperity in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean.
On the other hand, Turkey’s revisionist and destabilizing position, apt to violations, requires us to be constantly alert, as well as to maintain a high deterrence power of our Armed Forces.
We make every possible effort to this end. In this context, we will maintain and we will deepen our bilateral defence cooperation which is based on our fraternal, strategic relation with a view to confronting any threat and challenge.
Concluding, I would like to congratulate, from the depth of my heart, the battle worthy personnel of the National Guard and the Hellenic Armed Forces for this magnificent parade. Thanks to their high morale and their sense of duty, they are the proud continuators of the Greek people’s struggles and the defenders of Cyprus’ Freedom and Independence.
Congratulations to everybody”.
Later on, Mr. Panagiotopolos visited the Presidential Palace in Nicosia where he was received by the President of the Republic of Cyprus and he attended the reception offered by Mr. Anastasiades for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions in Cyprus. During this reception, the Minister of National Defence had the opportunity to converse with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Ms. Annita Demetriou, his Cypriot counterpart Mr. Charalambos Petrides, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, the Chief of the National Guard Lieutenant General Dimokritos Zervakis, as well as with Ambassadors, Consuls and Diplomats of foreign states to Cyprus.
