The late Defence Minister Tasos Mitsopoulos did his utmost for his country, his home town and his family and he leaves behind a legacy as a politician with ethics, integrity and compassion, an excellent husband, a loving father and a pious Christian, the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades has said, delivering the eulogy at the funeral of the late Minister who passed away Saturday, aged 48.

A visibly emotional Anastasiades, who occasionally had to fight back his tears to say his last farewell to the Minister he called “my son”, with tears in his eyes, began his eulogy by saying that their roles are reversed.

“Today I want to tell you what the papers say for you. For the past eleven years, you have been telling me what the press said for me and together we worked out our reaction. Today, allow me to tell you what the papers say about you,” the President said as he set the tone of his eulogy.

He referred to the headlines in the press, which reflect, as he pointed out, the love and admiration of the whole of Cyprus, citizens, politicians, friends and associates.

President Anastasiades also noted the messages of condolences and praise from the Greek leadership and the fact that Greek Minister of Defence Dimitris Avramopoulos and Minister of Development Costis Chatzidakis are today present at the funeral service.

Mitsopoulos’ coffin, carried into the church by members of the National Guard, was draped with the Cyprus and the Greek flags. A guard of honour stood to attention as the funeral cortege entered the packed church of Agios Georgios tou Kontou, in his home town in Larnaca.

The President referred to the close cooperation he had with the deceased for eleven years, from the late Minister’s activities in the youth organization of the Democratic Rally (DHSY), the New Democracy party in Greece and the Youth branch of the EPP.

He spoke of the virtues of the late Minister, his grace and dignity, his integrity, his ethos, his modesty and knowledge, adding that from a really young age he assumed duties as a consultant at the Greek Foreign Ministry, later as a Director of the Political Bureau of the then Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos and special adviser of the then Greek MEP Costas Chatzidakis at his Brussels office.

President Anastasiades said that he had no difficulty in choosing Mitsopoulos to become, in 1997, the Director of his Political Office when he was President of the Democratic Rally, adding that he gained a close and most dear associate.

The President said that the Cyprus people saw in him all these virtues and thus he was elected MP in 2006 and 2011 and provided for his home town, Larnaca.

He said that he was a modest politician, who always preached with arguments and never turned to sensationalism or flattery.

The President said that his loss for his country and his family is vast, adding that for himself, the death of a close associate and a friend is also huge. He also pointed out that they shared a relationship of father and son for more than twenty years.

The President referred to Mitsopoulos’ contribution and hard work during the presidential campaign that finally saw himself elected President of the Republic and his decision to grant him the post of the Minister of Communications and Works and later Minister of Defence.

The President admitted publicly and asked for forgiveness for the fact that he did not fulfill his first wish to assume duties as Defence Minister and serve his country from this post.

Today his country and the people of Cyprus pay the proper respects and honor the late Minister, who leaves behind a huge legacy.

“You leave with the honours due to somebody of your caliber. Rest assured that you have served your country, your country and your family to the full. May you rest in peace,”