Let me express, first of all, our indignation and absolute opposition to Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
As a Minister of this Government, but also as a Minister of the Republic of Cyprus - and I stress this because our country has been subjected for 48 years to an attack of exactly the same kind by Turkey - I express my country's opposition to this act of war and the blatant violation of international law and respect for peace, the sovereignty of countries and the freedom of peoples, but also our expectation that the international community will finally rise to the occasion, effectively confronting the challenge and demonstrating practical and effective solidarity, defending the Ukrainian people and their rights.
I also believe that I am expressing the position of all those present here today.
At this really very difficult time and circumstance, I will nevertheless insist on speaking about Francophonie and welcome you here at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth on the occasion of the meeting with the media to launch the Francophonie Season, because the Organisation and the international Francophonie movement - beyond our links with the French language and culture itself - represents the universal values of freedom, democracy, justice, equality and solidarity. And above all, of course, it represents our position on peace.
We therefore express today our will to make music, poetry, colours and recitation in French heard louder than the drums of war and the awful noise of tanks and air raids.
Excellencies, gentlemen and ladies Ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions,
Honorable Mr. Representative of the President of the Republic to the Permanent Council of the Francophonie,
Ladies and Gentlemen Representatives of the Mass Media,
Dear Friends of Francophonie,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to today's press conference, which takes place at the opening of the Francophonie Season in Cyprus.
Clearly, we are going through a period in which we are called upon to face challenges that are causing serious rifts in global stability, disrupting international legitimacy and security. At a time when peace is proving fragile, the important role played by organisations such as Francophonie, which upholds the universal human values of freedom, democracy, justice, equality and solidarity, is all the more evident. Francophonie is not just a linguistic community, but a community which, through its work and actions, seeks to convey the message of universality throughout the world; it fights for the rule of law, social equality, the defence of individual freedoms, social rights and the consolidation of parliamentary dialogue.
With the timeless motto of Equality, Complementarity and Solidarity (égalité, complémentarité, solidarité), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassies and Consulates of member states of the International Organisation of Francophonie based in Cyprus, celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of the International Organisation of Francophonie.
An associate member of the Organisation since 2006, Cyprus expresses in every way its interest in the French language and culture. The love for French, a language intertwined with the cradle of most of the world's artistic and ideological currents, is also expressed through the political decisions of our Government to proceed with the certification of the French language in public schools and its extension to Lyceums and Technical Schools. With these initiatives we aim to offer new opportunities, to open new horizons to our youth and to create a greater openness to the modern world by strengthening multicultural dialogue.
Allow me, at this point, to express my particular joy, because today we are living through perhaps the most fruitful, a brilliant period, I would say, in the history of our cooperation with France. In cooperation with the school and the Embassy, we are proceeding with the establishment and operation, starting next year, of a branch of the French Cypriot School in Limassol, we have significantly strengthened our cooperation in the fields of education and culture, signing memoranda of understanding and further promoting the exchange of students and know-how in educational matters. While we also look forward to initiatives and actions during the French Presidency of the Council of the EU that develop closer ties and opportunities for cooperation through a logic of European functioning of both teachers and universities.
In this fertile environment and, of course, under the peculiar conditions created by the pandemic, we are actively participating again this year in the celebrations of the Francophone Season, supporting education, culture, youth and sustainability.
In this fertile environment and, of course, under the peculiar conditions created by the pandemic, we are actively participating again this year, in the celebrations of the Francophone Season, supporting education, culture, youth and sustainability.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Ambassadors and Consuls of the Francophonie member countries in Cyprus, both for their presence here and for their excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, thus contributing to the best possible organization of the events and the promotion of multicultural creativity. I would also like to thank all the representatives of the media for their presence here and for the important role they play in informing the public and promoting all the events planned for the Francophonie Season.
IP
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