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- Ελληνικά
Yesterday, Tuesday, 11 June 2024, on the sidelines of the 39th Conference of the World Coordinating Committee of the Cyprus Struggle (WCCR) in Washington DC, Minister of Foreign Affairs Constantinos Kombos inaugurated a photographic exhibition on the 50 years of Turkish invasion and occupation.
The exhibition, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Washington, D.C., consists of a unique collection of photographs from the Press and Information Office (PIO) Archive. The photographs, many of which are being exhibited for the first time, focus on the tragic events of the 1974 Turkish invasion, documenting the horrors of war, human suffering and the brutalities of the Turkish invader.
The US capital is the first stop of the exhibition, which will travel around the world through the Republic of Cyprus Diplomatic Missions network.
Addressing the attendees, the Foreign Minister said: "The photographs serve as a reminder of Turkish brutality, aggression and ongoing violation of international law."
"They constitute the mosaic of the collective memory of the destruction, the suffering of our people."
After noting that the photographic exhibition takes us back to the tragic summer of 1974, the Foreign Minister said: "The exhibition is dominated by the faces of the summer of 1974. No matter how many years have passed, no matter where we are, they remain an unshakeable reference point for every Cypriot and every Greek. They are engraved in our collective psyche, sealed in our minds, anchored in our memory. Fifty years later, these images are a memory of the past and yet remain present and contemporary. Because Cyprus and its people continue to experience occupation and division, in violation of their basic human rights and in complete disregard of public international law, and against every notion of the values that guide the international community."
Stressing that fifty years of Turkish occupation is enough, the Foreign Minister underlined that our firm goal remains the reunification of Cyprus. In this context, he referred to our side's commitment to the agreed framework of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with political equality, as stipulated in the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, underlining the Government's willingness to support the efforts of the UN Secretary General's (UNSG) Personal Envoy for the resumption of talks.
In conclusion, Mr. In conclusion, he referred to the important and long-lasting contribution of the diaspora in the US to the efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, expressing thanks on behalf of the President of the Republic, himself and the entire Cypriot people for this valuable contribution.
For the speech of the Foreign Minister in English click here.
(MF/NZ/GS)
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