"A great Greek dedicated to the service of the freedom of Cyprus, a freedom fighter who believes that Cyprus will become sovereign and free again," he said, addressing those present at the packed Pallas Theatre, in the presence of President Nicos Anastasiades, Speaker of the Parliament Anita Demetriou, ministers, MPs and a large number of people. The event was also addressed by President Anastasiades, as well as by the President of the EPP, Marinos Sizopoulos.
Pavlopoulos noted that above all, Vassos Lyssarides was a spiritual man who put himself into politics to defend his country. He dedicated his spirit, he said, his life, his contribution, to the struggle for freedom.
"He was a great sower. He sowed these ideas and waited. He waited in vain for the time of the harvest, the harvest of freedom, to see the Five Fingers free again. He did not succeed, which is why our own debt is even greater."
We must, he said, remind in every direction, especially in these difficult times, that we Greeks are ready to accept a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem and we are ready to accept it, but not, he said, just any solution. The solution, he added, must fully respect international and European law.
Pavlopoulos thanked President Anastasiades because together and during his term of office, with one voice, with Cyprus leading and Athens following, they drew the lines for a solution to the Cyprus problem, which are lines of respect for international law. He noted that the state in a solution should definitely be a federation and in no case a confederation, because it is contrary to European law.
Referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said that from the very first moment Cyprus and Greece stood by Ukraine, while he said that what the Greeks and Cypriots are saying to the EU and NATO is that "we will not tolerate, in the name of Turkey's alleged geostrategic role, any discounts on the Cyprus problem and the defence of Cyprus".
He added that anyone who today, in the name of Turkey's geostrategic position, allows Turkey to occupy a third of Cyprus' territory for 48 years, is the one who paves the way for all those who will do the same and undermine international law. He also said that at this moment the barbarism in Ukraine has the same colour, it has the same abhorrence that we should all show as the Turkish barbarism.
For his part, Metropolitan George of Paphos said that for Lyssarides and all of us, Greece was and is an idea. It was, as he said, in our blood, in our lives, in our genes, it was not identified with man or deeds, juntas or betrayals.
"Honouring today the late Vassos Lyssarides one year after his departure from this world, we reflect on the legacy he left us. However poor we may feel to manage it, let us at least remember his words. If the idea of debt is missing, there is a man," he concluded.
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