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It is with great pleasure that I declare today the opening of the "Festival of Zivania 2023", which I have placed under my auspices and which is organized by the Community Council of Pelendri.
Pelendri, known since the Middle Ages, is mentioned in written records from 1353. It is associated with John de Luzignan, Prince of Antioch and member of the royal family of Cyprus. The medieval chronicler George Bustronius states that around 1461 and 1474, Pelendri and 14 other surrounding villages were of great commercial importance for the region. Important archaeological objects from the time of Alexander the Great have been found here. Nowadays, Pelendri is a unique mountain community in the Troodos mountain range with an altitude of 800 metres, with a relatively high rainfall which, apart from vineyards, is favourable to the cultivation of stone fruit, olives, almonds and vegetables. The landscape is also characterised by the natural vegetation of pine trees, olive trees, lodgepole pines, trembling trees, scratch trees, pear trees, wild olive trees, alder trees, plane trees and merasines.
Pelendri and the surrounding wine-growing communities belong to the Pitsilia complex. The registration of the Geographical Indication 'PDO Pitsilia' in the corresponding register of protected Geographical Indications of the European Union creates conditions of comparative advantage for the winemakers of the 32 communities. It also gives them the right to produce wines with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) of the same name. It is also widely known that Pitsilia has a long tradition of preparing dishes from local grapes such as stakes, soutzioukos, kiofteri, and roasted grapes, as well as raisins. These products are of unparalleled quality and outline Cyprus' potential to produce and promote its local character. The local distillation of locally produced 'Zivania' contributed years ago to the legal registration and standardisation of the product by national decree. The Decree clearly states the production criteria and quality specifications of this unique alcoholic drink of Cyprus with a 'Protected Geographical Indication'. They contribute to the creation of a promising climate for the place, highlighting everyone's interest in keeping the unique Cypriot countryside alive and creating further prospects for the future of our mountainous areas. I extend my warmest congratulations to the organisers for their initiative for today's event, which is an attraction in your communities for local and foreign visitors.
Friends,
My presence at today's event confirms the importance that the Nicos Christodoulides Government attaches to the wine sector. We set as a top priority the preservation and further development of wine-growing areas and are making every effort to support the wine sector. In particular, as the responsible Ministry, we fully understand that the success of the wine sector is affected by ongoing and major challenges, which need to be addressed drastically. It is for this reason that we keep the dialogue with Local Authorities, Producer Organisations, Farmers' Organisations and other bodies close to producers, wine growers and winemakers alive and develop actions both at national and international level to strengthen the sector in every possible way. Therefore, for the period between now and the year 2027, the Cyprus Strategic Plan will allocate, through the Wine Sector Interventions, more than €22 million to winegrowers and winemakers. The same amount, i.e. about €22 million, has already been allocated in the five-year period 2019-2023, exclusively from the financial resources of the European Union as support to the sector.
With these few thoughts, I congratulate the organisers and all of you who, with your presence, support the efforts aimed at the continuous progress of this important, in every respect, region of our country. I would like to stress once again that for the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, the protection, enhancement and promotion of the wine sector and its traditional products is a conscious strategic choice.
Thank you.
(MGM)
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