Today, at the Presidential Palace, the ceremony of handing over the Deputy Ministry under the Presidency from the new Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Mr. In handing over the Deputy Ministry, Mr. Kousios said that "it is with great joy and emotion that I hand over, dear Peter, the Deputy Ministry to you.
I have had the opportunity over the past five months, when I was performing the duties of the Deputy Minister to the President, to work closely with you and to recognize not only your skills and diligence, but also your acumen, loyalty and support for the President of the Republic.
You are one of the very few who know the President of the Republic, one of the very few who have been with him for so long and you have proved that you truly deserve it.
I make no secret of the fact that I leave with mixed feelings. Leaving the State Secretary to the President, which is a pre-eminent position of a close associate of the President - attending all the meetings, sitting next to the President, on his visits abroad and during his contacts - and taking on new responsibilities is a challenge. This challenge becomes even greater when one considers that I am succeeding an able Minister who has left an indelible mark on the Ministry.
However, I am confident that just as you performed your duties to the letter as Director of the Office of the President, you will also perform them as Deputy Minister to the President.
It is therefore with great pleasure that I hand over the Deputy Ministry to you. Congratulations."
Finally, Mr. Kousios thanked the friends and colleagues he has made in the Office of the President. "I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart. I must say that I felt their love and appreciation, cooperation and support when I came back to the Presidential Office. I thank them from the bottom of my heart and I wish them all the best."
For his part, on receiving the Deputy Minister, Demetriou said that "before any other mention, allow me to warmly thank the President of the Republic for the uninterrupted confidence he has shown in me by reappointing me in the very honourable position of Deputy Minister to the President.
The time remaining until the completion of the term of office of the President of the Republic may not be long, but the evaluation of the government's work, but even more so the course of its implementation, whether it concerns the great reform effort that is being carried out, the development planning of the Republic or the legacy of the President of the Republic, the Plan "Cyprus Tomorrow", are top stakes, both for the governance and the further progress and prosperity of the country.
Allow me to warmly thank my friend Kyriakos Kousios for his cooperation throughout this period. Your stay in the position of Deputy Minister has been short, but your contribution has been inversely proportional. You brought calmness and planning that was required in the Presidency.
I am confident, recognizing the qualities of your character, for your success in your new duties, in an admittedly difficult undertaking.
In addition, I feel the need to warmly thank above all my friend Pantelis for his support and help over the years. He is always the calm and rational voice that can guide you safely through whatever it is you are seeking. So congratulations, my friend Pantelis, I feel absolutely sure of the success of your project."
For his part, Pantelidis said that "I want to thank the President of the Republic for his trust, hoping to live up to his expectations.
I have no doubt that the good cooperation that we have established over the last nine years with all government officials, our colleagues in the Presidential Office, the Secretary of the Cabinet and all members of the Cabinet will continue with the sole aim of completing the programmatic positions of the President of the Republic. We are already on a very good path, the last steps remain to be completed.
Dear Kyriakos, thank you for the excellent cooperation, the trust in you too, Peter, and I am sure that the excellent cooperation we have developed will continue under your new duties.
Kyriakos I wish you good strength and I am sure that you will fulfil what Zeta had initiated, because it is something we owe her".
(PM/NG/EXP)
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