NEARLY 200 schoolchildren from Greek Cypriot, Turkish Cypriot and international schools as well as members of bi-communal youth organisations came together yesterday at EU House in Nicosia to celebrate the award of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the EU and watch live the Awards Ceremony from Oslo.
In an informal setting, the pupils had the opportunity to air their views on the European Union and its contribution to peace as well as on issues of more direct interest to Cyprus. The discussion was moderated by TV presenters Kyriakos Pierides (CyBC) and Aysu Basri Akter (Sim TV) and the young audience engaged in a mature dialogue with the invited guests.
Former President George Vassiliou, Lellos Demetriades and Mustafa Akinci, prominent Cypriots who have made a contribution to bi-communal understanding, were amongst those who engaged in the conversation with the pupils. Committee of Missing Persons members Gόlden Plόmer Kόηόk and Aristos Aristotelous as well as representatives of the bi-communal civil society organisation for the missing ”Together we can” Christina Solomi and Sevgόl Uluda? also took part in the event. MEP Ioannis Kasoulides delivered a video message from Strasbourg.
The Bi-communal Choir for Peace in Cyprus performed at the event which was hosted by the Representation of the European Commission and the European Parliament Office in Cyprus.
”We are very happy to be co-hosting this vibrant and lively event today. We are certain that the next generations of Europeans, the next generations of Cypriots, whom we have here with us today, will be inspired from what the EU has achieved over the last sixty years and will lead the way to promote peace and prosperity in the coming sixty years,” said George Markopouliotis, head of the representation of the European Commission in Cyprus.
On October 12,, The Nobel Committee announced the award of the Nobel peace prize to the European Union, recognising that the union and its forerunners have for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Josι Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission and Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament received today at Oslo, Norway, the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the European Union.
Cyprus Mail
