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, Asbestos-Pelendri
The invitation to address today's commemorative speech at the Pancyprian Memorial of the leaders and heroic martyrs of the national liberation struggle EOKA 1955-1959, which coincides with the opening ceremony of the "Freedom Road 2023" events, I am particularly honoured and for this I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to the organisers: the Council of Historical Memory of the EOKA 1955-'59 Struggle, the EOKA 1955-'59 Fighters' Associations, the EOKA 1955-'59 Liberation Struggle Foundation and the EOKA Fighters' Memorial.
Fulfilling a due moral and national duty of honour and memory, with a feeling of deepest emotion and national pride, responsibility towards our historical legacies, we commemorate today, in this sacred place of the Hero of the Liberation Struggle of EOKA 1955-'59, chosen by the Chief himself, the leaders and heroic martyrs of the Struggle, to whom we reverently bow our heads, for the services they offered to the tested homeland, with self-sacrifice and unparalleled heroism.
With reverence, humility and respect, we record our immense gratitude for their struggles and sacrifice, who rushed to defend the Cypriot Thermopylae as modern-day Leonids. Their unquenchable flame of patriotism and their desire for freedom led the 108 heroic martyrs of the struggle to offer their own lives, sacrificing themselves on the altar of freedom, and adding their names to our pantheon of heroes.
We are grateful to the leaders, Archbishop Makarios and General Georgios Grivas Digenis, but also to the heroes who, faithful to the ideals of freedom, stood boldly against the colonialists and honoured their homeland.
We pay tribute, not as an obligation, but as a duty that requires us to stand up to our historical past, "for the true measure of man is always and only by the measure of freedom". And to those whom freedom measured as giants, we humbly express our sense of appreciation and gratitude.
We pay tribute to all those whose sacrifice allows us to be here today, with the promise that their struggle and sacrifices will be vindicated.
And today I want to reiterate something that I have repeatedly mentioned publicly in recent times while listening to some comments and reports that honoring the struggle of EOKA, talking to our children about the struggle of EOKA works against efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem. If we really want an eventual solution to the Cyprus problem, for which we are fighting hard, to be viable, it will be secured not through self-abolition, but through knowledge and respect for our history. And, yes, we must continue with such events, but also with a daily way of life and at the same time, we all have the obligation and duty to talk to our children about the national liberation struggle of EOKA '55-'59.
The EOKA Fighters' Memorial is a reminder and continuation of the struggles of our heroes for the progress and prosperity of our homeland.
A reminder, which guides our own pace on their path, in order to fulfill our own duty towards our country.
A duty which dictates the defence of the right of every citizen to live and progress in a free country.
The EOKA Hospital for the Unknowns, through its upgrading, with the operation of the new wing, offers high quality services, contributing to a vitally important sector, that of public health.
Allow me, therefore, to warmly congratulate the present and successive Boards of Directors, as well as the staff of the Melathros, for their continuous commitment to acts of service to their fellow man and society.
I would particularly like - they are not with us today, but we must thank them at every opportunity - to congratulate our compatriots from abroad, who, recognizing and appreciating the contribution of the Melathros, support its operation over time.
You all know and I consider it unnecessary to underline the role played by the Ministry of Health in this effort, and in particular the Director General Mrs. Christina Giannaki, who has been supporting the Melathro from the very first moment. A role and support that I would like to assure you today that it will continue, not only as a minimal sign of our recognition of the legendary struggle of EOKA and the young fighters of that time, but also because of the fact that in our people-centred governance, the health sector is of the highest priority.
Undoubtedly, the EOKA Fighters' Hospital, apart from being a state-of-the-art care, hospitalization, recovery and rehabilitation unit, is an important contributor to the effectiveness of our country's medical system, the YESY.
By assembling a well-trained scientific team and experienced nursing staff, as well as modern facilities and modern equipment, it has managed, covering almost most specialties, to successfully meet the needs of patients.
In this context, the high services and the offer of the Melathros are recognized as being of particular importance by the state in the nerve centre of public health.
I would like to thank the previous Governments who supported this effort, we ought to acknowledge all those predecessors who supported this effort, especially in the first difficult years.
The Melathron received as state sponsorship, during the period from 2013 to 2022, a total amount of 648 thousand euros, while the state expenditure, corresponding to the financing of the beds from 2013, through the signing of a public contract with the state, until January 2023, is close to 26 million euros. I recall at the same time that, for the construction of the new Rehabilitation Wing, additional financial assistance of about one million euros was provided.
I want to reassure you that the State will continue to be a helper and supporter, within the limits of its budgetary possibilities, you have no doubt about that, in any new initiatives towards the further modernization of the Metathlon.
Speaking about the crucial sector of Health, I would like to express my strong belief in the need to continue, through a collective effort, the reforms to modernise the structures of the state in all vital sectors, in health, in education, in everything that is relevant to the daily life of the citizen. Much has been done, very important and serious decisions have been taken, which must be implemented. At the same time, and beyond the issues relating to the internal governance of the country, fully aware of the weight of responsibility for the governance of the country and with absolute seriousness, what I want to emphasise today, standing in such a sacred space, inextricably linked to the history of our country, is that I will devote all my efforts to the liberation of our country, the reunification of our country, on the basis of the agreed framework for a viable and workable solution.
A solution that ends the occupation and colonization in practice and not in words, that frees our land from foreign troops and foreign dependencies, allowing all its legitimate inhabitants to live in peace in an environment that promotes security, stability and progress.
To the memory of the leaders of the struggle and of all those who watered the land of our martyred Cyprus with their blood, we reverently bow our heads and hope that their sacrifice will not take long to be vindicated. To our heroes and their families we express, once again, our gratitude and respect. Our heroes stood up to the British Colonizer and with heroism and self-denial, they fell on the battlefield, earning a golden and glorious page in the pantheon of the immortals and sealing with their name and action, the timeless struggles for freedom and justice. And if the Republic of Cyprus exists today, it is exclusively due to the national liberation struggle of EOKA 1955-1959.
The sacrifice of all these people continues to irrigate the tree of freedom until it blossoms and bears fruit.
May their memory be eternal.
(PM/MB)
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
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