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The Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou, together with the Deputy Minister of Culture and Media of Germany, Ms Claudia Roth, attended the re-opening of the Cypriot Antiquities Hall at the Neues Museum in Berlin yesterday. The event took place in the context of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Cyprus' accession to the EU, organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus and was part of the events taking place at the Neues Museum during the current week entitled "Cyprus Week" (17-23/6/2024).
In her welcome address, the Deputy Minister said that the "Hall of Cyprus" will give the thousands of visitors to the Museum the opportunity to learn about Cypriot archaeology and ancient culture and to learn more about our island and its millennial history. "There is no better way or more appropriate place to celebrate 20 years of EU membership, as well as the deep-rooted, long-standing cultural relations between Cyprus and Germany," he stressed, assuring that our aim and ambition is to further develop and expand our cultural ties.
Among other things, Ms Kassianidou also referred to the sad 50-year anniversary of the illegal Turkish military invasion in July 1974 and the violent division of Cyprus into two parts, noting that Berliners can understand better than anyone else what it means to live in a divided city like Nicosia, which today is the last divided capital of Europe. He pointed out that Germany has always supported efforts for a just solution to the Cyprus problem in accordance with international laws, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and EU values and principles.
Underlining the excellent relations in terms of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in addressing the illegal trafficking of looted antiquities from Cyprus, she expressed her pleasure at the support of the German authorities in facilitating the efforts of the Republic of Cyprus to repatriate antiquities and works of art illegally exported from the occupied part of the island as a consequence of the Turkish invasion of the island.
Referring to the cultural relations between Cyprus and Germany since 1960, Ms. Kassianidou added that a new, interesting perspective for the cooperation between Cypriot and German productions is already developing, while at the same time, the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Ministry of Culture has been participating in recent years in the European Film Market held in Berlin.
The event was also addressed by the State Secretary of Culture and Media of Germany, the Director of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History Dr. Matthias Wemhoff, the Director of the Collection of Antiquities, Dr. Andreas Scholl, the Curator of the Cyprus Collection Mr. Anton Gass, Dr. Stephan G. Schmid, Professor of Classical Archaeology at Humboldt University, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Berlin, Mrs. Maria Papakyriakou. In the framework of the visit of the Deputy Minister of Culture to Berlin, a bilateral meeting was also held with the German Deputy Minister of Culture and Media, Ms Claudia Roth, during which the strong cultural relations between Cyprus and Germany in all fields of arts and humanities, as well as ways to further develop them, were discussed.
In the framework of the visit of the Deputy Minister of Culture to Berlin, a bilateral meeting was also held with the German Deputy Minister of Culture and Media, Ms Claudia Roth, during which the strong cultural relations between Cyprus and Germany in all fields of arts and humanities, as well as ways to further develop them, were discussed. Reference was also made to the excellent cooperation between the German archaeological missions in Cyprus with the Cyprus Department of Antiquities and the University of Cyprus and the recent participation of Cyprus in the famous Frankfurt Book Fair, after many years of absence.
In addition, there was a discussion regarding the development of further ways of cooperation to address the challenges facing the cultural industry in all Member States. Ms Kassianidou underlined the close cooperation between the two countries to tackle the illegal trafficking of looted antiquities from Cyprus and expressed our country's gratitude to the competent German authorities for their support in their efforts to repatriate Cypriot antiquities and works of art, which were illegally exported from the occupied part of the island.
For the video excerpt from the speech of the Deputy Minister, click here.
For the full text of the speech of the Deputy Minister in English, click here.
(EK)
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