President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades was awarded the “AHEPA Socrates Award” by AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association), on the occasion of its 99th Supreme Convention in Athens. During the ceremony, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was also awarded an honorary distinction.
President Anastasiades said that he is deeply moved to receive this award as an honor to the country and the people that he represents and as “the genuine appreciation to the long-standing struggles of Cypriot Hellenism for freedom, justice and independence”.
“Your decision on bestowing this Award dictates to continue with the same determination and persistence in fulfilling the duties and obligations I have assumed towards the people of Cyprus, with the most important being, none other, than the reunification of our divided island”, he added.
President of Cyprus praised AHEPA’s mission saying that it represents an association “which has been successfully promoting and defending the ideals, values and principles of Hellenism for almost a century”. At the same time, AHEPA has assumed a key role in advancing the strategic partnership between Greece and Cyprus with the United States, Anastasiades said.
He also underlined AHEPA’s role in defending the Republic of Cyprus’ sovereignty and the exercise of its sovereign rights, free from unilateral and illegal actions by Turkey at sea and on the ground.
“You are of course aware of the recent provocative announcements made by the Turkish President and the Turkish Cypriot leader in relation to changing the status of part of the fenced city of Famagusta. An announcement which, aside from the obvious fact that it is in blatant violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, took place despite the repeated calls by the international community, including the USA, to reverse this course of action and avoid raising new tensions”, Cypriot President said, during his speech.
Underlining the importance of unity, he also referred to close consultation between Greece and Cyprus, in the context of which “a strong condemnation by the UN Security Council and the EU of Turkey’s actions” was achieved.
“Turkey’s policy of intimidation cannot continue and we simply cannot remain idle to developments that torpedo our efforts to resume the negotiating process with real prospects of success,” he said adding that the Turkish “step-by-step approach, based on testing the limits and reactions of the international community, vis-à-vis Famagusta, should not be tolerated”.
Finally, he noted that the Republic of Cyprus will continue to support in all possible ways the work of AHEPA.
The event was also attended by Cyprus` Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides, Energy Minister Natasha Pilides, Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos, Deputy Minister of Tourism Savvas Perdios and Presidential Commissioner Fotis Fotiou.
