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- Ελληνικά
To launch procedures aimed at improving living conditions, giving priority to the issues of food, water, education and employment, Ms. Anna Aristotelous, Head of Humanitarian Affairs for Missing and Trapped Persons, informed the trapped and resettled people during her second visit to the village of Karpasia.
Ms Aristotelous attended the Divine Liturgy at the Church of the Holy Cross in the occupied Maronite village of Karpasia. The Divine Liturgy was celebrated in a packed church by the Maronite Archbishop and was attended by the Maronite Representative in Parliament, Mr. Yannakis Moussa, the MPs Rita Superman, Marios Mavridis and Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, the mayors of Kormakitis Mr. Valentinos Koumettou and Karpasia Mr. Christakis H'Antonis, as well as the Director General of RIK Mr. Thanasis Tsokos.
Mrs. Aristotelous, after the Divine Liturgy and the procession of the Holy Cross in the village, met with young and adult interned and resettled people, as well as with other actors of the occupied Maronite villages. In particular, during the meetings with residents of the occupied Maronite villages at the café in the village of Karpasia, she had the opportunity to listen to their problems and issues of concern and to inform them about the promotion of the issues discussed during her previous visit a month ago. Ms. Aristotelous listened with particular attention to the new resettled residents and students, their concerns and issues and assured them that they will continue their joint efforts to turn their discussion and remarks into opportunities to improve their professional employment in their places of residence and the educational program in our occupied schools.
Ms. Aristotelous stressed that "this is the second time I am visiting the village of Karpasia and it will certainly not be the last. For the past 2 months since I took office, we have opened a channel of communication with our interned and resettled residents, whom I wish to see in person, in order to listen to their concerns and worries, with the aim, within our capabilities, to improve their living conditions. Both the President of the Republic and I personally stand by the internally displaced persons and after listening to their main concerns, processes have already been put in motion to improve their lives, for example on the issue of food, water, education and employment.
At the same time, Ms. Aristotelous noted that "I want to emphasize that neither the President in particular, nor I, consider our internally displaced persons as second class people. On the contrary, the necessary emphasis is given to these people who for 49 years have kept our occupied villages alive. I have already visited and held, in addition to the village of Karpasia, long meetings in Rizokarpaso and Kormakitis, and this channel of communication will remain open, since a key component of the people-centered approach to issues is to be present and listen to each person individually, without clocks, without a timetable, without shoulds. It is very important to be with them, next to our trapped people, in their space, listening to them and trying to resolve with them the multiple issues that will improve their living standards and ensure that our young people have similar work and learning opportunities as in the free areas."
(RM/NG/EXP)
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