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Ladies and gentlemen,
I would like to take this opportunity to condemn in the strongest possible terms yesterday's violent assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the town of Hadlova. Such atrocious acts seriously undermine democracy and are unthinkable in civilised societies.
On the occasion of this very sad event, I stress once again the collective responsibility of political leaders to join forces and intensify their efforts to address threats to democracy and to shape a promising future that guarantees peace, security and the well-being of citizens.
I wish the Slovak Prime Minister to overcome this ordeal as soon as possible and I express the solidarity and support of all Members of the House of Representatives to his loved ones, the Slovak Republic and its friendly people.
Dear colleagues,
8 May has been established as World Thalassaemia Day by the World Health Organization and the International Thalassaemia Federation. The aim of the 2024 activities is to spread the message that every person with thalassaemia has the right to access medical services with correct diagnosis, appropriate treatment options and comprehensive care.
Thalassaemia, as the most common single-gene disease, has more than three hundred million carriers worldwide. In Cyprus, Thalassaemia is a national disease, since in relation to the general population, we have the highest number of multitransfused patients, whose daily routine consists of strict and multidimensional treatment and management, frequent blood transfusion and concomitant desensitization therapy, as well as continuous check-ups if the disease is degenerative.
As the House of Representatives, we welcome the excellent work carried out by the Thalassaemia Clinic, the Thalassaemia Population Control Laboratory of the Archbishop Makarios III Hospital and the Department of Molecular Genetics of Thalassaemia of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics. We also welcome the ongoing actions of the Pancyprian Thalassaemia Association to support and educate people with Thalassaemia. Wanting to contribute to the effort to strengthen blood donation, we have participated in the actions of the Association to raise awareness, in the context of which, the Parliament building was illuminated on Wednesday 8 May in red, which symbolizes blood donation.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disease Awareness Week, from 4 to 11 May, is an annual activity of the Cyprus Rheumatology Association, which since 1984 has been providing valuable support, education, treatment and rehabilitation services and has been at the forefront in claiming the rights of our fellow human beings diagnosed with rheumatic diseases. The main objective of the association is to provide patients with direct access to medical treatment, provide psychological empowerment, promote social inclusion actions and ensure equal rights at social and state level.
This year, the Association's enlightenment events will take place between 13 and 18 May, culminating in the organisation of a particularly important conference tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, 17 and 18 May, on "Self-management of Rheumatic Diseases - Doctor-Patient Consensus".
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Every year on 12 May, International Nurses' Day is celebrated. This year the motto is "Our nurses. Our future. The economic power of care" and aims to highlight the fact that strategic investment in the key sector of nursing brings significant economic and social benefits, as it is the backbone of healthcare.
The House of Representatives expresses the thanks of the House, and of the entire society, to the noble profession performed by our nurses and midwives and we assure them that we stand by them in the long-standing effort to support their difficult work by continuously strengthening and improving the relevant legislative framework.
16 May is World Sickness Day. Coeliac disease is an inherited autoimmune condition that causes intolerance to gluten, a protein found in cereals, which causes particular problems in the daily lives of sufferers.
In Cyprus around 2 000 people have been diagnosed with celiac disease, while according to data in Europe between 1% and 1.4% of the population is affected. As the House of Representatives we are committed to the continuous improvement of the legislative framework concerning the rights of all patients and policies of awareness, accessibility and inclusion. We also reaffirm our support to all associations that promote the rights of patients based on their specificities and needs in the struggle for a pluralistic, equal and non-discriminatory society.
On the occasion of World Celiac Disease Day, the building of the House of Representatives will be illuminated in green today, in order to increase awareness of the disease and to raise public awareness of people with celiac disease.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
May 9 has been designated as "Peoples' Anti-Fascist Victory Day in World War II". This day marks the end of World War II in Europe and the final triumph of freedom over tyranny. The Allied forces achieved the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, ending one of the darkest chapters in human history. On this day we commemorate the memory of those who fought and sacrificed to defend freedom and justice and who, through their courage and perseverance, paved the way for peace to prevail.
May 9 is also celebrated as "Europe Day" as a symbol of unity, cooperation and peace among the nations of the European continent. On this day, we look back to the historic Schuman Declaration of 1950, the proposal by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman that laid the foundations for the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community.
"Europe Day" marks a shared commitment to peace and prosperity, transcending national borders and promoting solidarity between different cultures and peoples and serving as a symbol of hope, inspiring Europeans to work towards a common vision of a peaceful, inclusive and sustainable future. For Cyprus, it is a constant reminder of the benefits that as a small state we reap from our engagement in a multicultural formation.
Dear colleagues,
The Department of Forests, in the context of implementing an integrated system of forest fire management, the pillars of which are the prevention, detection and suppression of fires, has designated this year the period from 13 to 19 May as Forest Protection Week, an excellent initiative for which it is to be congratulated.
The forest fires that have already broken out since last April are an indication, as stated in the Forestry Department's circular, that this year's fire season is expected to be very difficult not only because of global climate change and the continuous rise in temperature, but also because of reduced rainfall and prolonged periods of drought on our island.
As a legislature we are committed to support any action related to forest protection and forest firefighting. I also urge all citizens to be sensitive to the responsibility of each individual to safeguard our forest wealth in all our activities. I recall in this context the numbers 1407 and 112, to which we are invited to report the presence of fire or smoke in or near the forest.
Dear colleagues,
Tomorrow, 17 May, we celebrate the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, which is dedicated to raising public awareness on issues related to discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and claiming their rights. The rights claimed by LGBTQ+ people are human rights and as such should be taken for granted by all. As the House of Representatives we stand against any kind of prejudice, discrimination or violence and underline the need to respect diversity and ensure the dignity and equality of all our fellow human beings, as befits a modern rule of law and an inclusive society.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
On 19 May we commemorate the Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Greeks of Pontus. The emergence of the Young Turk Movement and the spread of Turkish nationalism triggered the deadly events that led to the horrific extermination of 353 000 Greeks of Pontus in 1916-1923 and the expulsion of another 400 000 or more from their ancestral homes. Unfortunately, Turkey to this day denies the commission of the genocide and attributes the deaths of the Pontians, as well as of the Armenians and Assyrians, to war casualties, famine and disease.
The Parliament, with a unanimous resolution on 19 May 1994, recognized the genocide of the Pontians and since then has stood by the struggle of the Pontian community for international recognition of the genocide. The preservation of historical memory in connection with the systematic extermination of Christian populations in the territories of the collapsing Ottoman Empire at the beginning of the last century serves as a reminder of the importance of the peaceful coexistence of peoples and as a deterrent to the recurrence of such crimes against humanity.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I invite you to observe a one-minute silence in memory of the victims of the Pontian genocide, and of all genocide.
(Observance of one-minute silence)
Eternal memory of the victims!
(The text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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