Today we inaugurate the new recreational area in the Troullo Community, a project co-funded by the Embassy of Israel, the Forestry Department and the Troullo Community Council, which has been implemented to meet the needs of both the residents of the community and visitors to the area, in terms of forest recreation.
The outlying community of Trullo, like all areas of Cyprus, is suffering greatly from the effects of climate change. Reduced rainfall, prolonged periods of drought and very high temperatures have resulted in the limited expansion and survival of forest vegetation.
With the many years of tireless efforts of the Forestry Department to establish and expand greenery on our island, the state forests of the wider area have been successfully afforested, which today constitute a unique green lung of the highest importance.
Friends,
As the Republic of Cyprus, we warmly welcome the initiative of the Embassy of Israel to finance such a project with the amount of 35 thousand euros, which confirms once again that the cooperation between the two States is not limited to the political part, but is multi-level and has implications in all areas.
At the same time, I feel particularly satisfied that the Forestry Department operates in a way that achieves maximum benefit for society, the economy and the environment, through sound decision-making and targeted partnerships with various stakeholders.
As I have already mentioned, we live in an era where climate change is having a daily and obvious impact on our lives and the environment at large. The Government's efforts to address this crisis, in addition to passing laws and implementing policies, are focused on the smallest but most important actions, through which the right messages are communicated to society and the objectives set are effectively achieved.
I am sure that the project we are launching today comes to fill a gap that existed. From today, the Trullo community will have a place where visitors to the area will come to relax and enjoy the natural environment. Above all, it will give citizens the message of respect for the forest, cultivate environmental awareness and transmit to new generations the mentality of protection and love for forests and the natural environment.
Dear Ambassador of Israel,
The initiative of the Embassy of Israel to finance this specific project is highly appreciated by the Republic of Cyprus and confirms that the relationship between the two States is extended beyond the pure political issues to other sectors and activities as well.
At the same time, this initiative taken by the Embassy of Israel, emphasizes the sensitivity and the importance given to the protection of the natural environment by the State of Israel, a country that is experiencing the Climate Change effects in a similar way as Cyprus does.
The idea of creating a picnic site called "Israel Park" and a new forest called "Jerusalem Forest" in an area that has been suffering from fires and climate crisis for years, provides a clear message, that the protection of the environment is achieved under joint policies and actions.
I take this opportunity and remind everyone that the location selected for the implementation of the project, is also connected to the Holocaust of European Jews during the Second World War and the contribution of Cyprus regarding the support to Jews prisoned in the internment camp at the community of Xylotympou.
The picnic site created in the community of Troulli will remain in the area as a symbol of cooperation and solidarity between the two countries. A cooperation that starts from the past, is strengthened in the present and will continue even more dynamically in the future.
Κλείνοντας, θα ήθελα να συγχαρώ όλους τους αρμόδιους φορείς που συνεργάστηκαν για την ολοκλήρωση του έργου και να ευχαριστήσω θερμά όλους εσάς, για την εδώ παρουσία σας.
(ΝΓ)
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