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It is my great pleasure to be here today, at the inauguration ceremony of the renovated Cultural Events Hall of the Community of Pano Polemidia, but also at the ceremony of its renaming to "Mikis Theodorakis", one of the greatest names of Greek culture and creation.
Today's renaming of the hall is a step to recognize and pay due tribute to the great universal Greek, Miki Theodorakis. To the great composer, politician and writer whose work has stamped the identity of Hellenism, leaving an indelible mark in the fields of music, culture and our history.
His name is linked to the struggles of Hellenism and the struggles for freedom. The great music composer, who loved Cyprus, the land of the "Golden Green Leaf" and sang for it with passion, supported in many ways the struggle of our island for freedom and justice. His dedication to the promotion of values through his melody, as well as his activity, are a source of inspiration for all of us.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This new venue, inaugurated today, will host cultural events and other activities. Such initiatives deserve our appreciation, as they constitute a valuable and necessary action for the benefit of the local community, which will be able to enjoy the richness of art, creating possibilities for a richer cultural environment.
It is with such actions, dear ones, that significant value is added to the goals of development and progress. The contribution of local authorities to the preservation of cultural heritage and the further development of this sector at local level is crucial. It is for this reason that the new legislation that will govern the operation of municipalities from 1 July 2024, as part of the reform of local government, clearly places within the responsibilities of municipalities the implementation of policies that, among other things, include the promotion and protection of local culture, the development of cultural tourism, the promotion of cultural goods and contemporary cultural works produced locally.
With the establishment of the new municipalities, they will be more economically sustainable, operate with greater autonomy from the central state, while citizens will enjoy more benefits and better quality services within a matrix of development and progress. With the integration of the Community into the new Municipality of Polemidia, together with the Municipality of Kato Polemidia, a new perspective is given.
On the occasion of my presence here, I could not ignore that of the approximately 3,500 inhabitants of your Community, based on the 2021 census, about 85% are displaced persons.
I would like to mention that for us, as a Government, an important parameter remains the issue of refugee policy, for the refugee people who have borne on their shoulders the enormous burden of the consequences of the Turkish invasion.
It is in this context that we have made it a priority to resolve the long-standing problem of the unsuitability of refugee settlements, with the "Building Project" in an effort to ensure both safe and decent and sustainable accommodation. At the same time, we place high on our list the review of the criteria of the housing plans for displaced persons, as well as the rent subsidies, with the aim of revising them within 2023, while we also proceed with the modernization of the management and disposal of T/C properties, in order to address the needs of our refugees with meritocracy, transparency and equity.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Before I close, I would like to congratulate the Community Mayor Mr. Kyriakos Mavris and the members of the Pano Polemidia Community Council for their efforts for development and progress, but also for the excellent initiative for the renovation, renaming and promotion of this building into a cultural nucleus for the local community. Thank you for giving me the honour of inaugurating it. Finally, I would also like to express my sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the realisation of this project and to the organisation of tonight's event.
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EFYs/ΣX/IS
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