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The President of the Republic Mr. Nikos Christodoulides and his wife Mrs. Philippa Karseras Christodoulides hosted tonight, at the Presidential Palace, a reception in honour of the participants of the World Congress of Cypriots in Diaspora, during which expatriates were honoured for their contribution to their homeland, Cyprus.
In his address at the event, the President of the Republic said that "it is with great pleasure, but even more so with emotion that I welcome you for the first time at the Presidential Palace. As I mentioned last night, the emotions that overwhelm me as I stand among you, among friends and colleagues, are many and intense. The overriding feeling for me, of course, is that of gratitude to all of you, who have not stopped for a moment to fight, struggle and defend our beloved Cyprus. And all this, selflessly and without actually asking anything from the homeland.
I want to repeat this because I feel it very strongly. I had the blessing, because it was a blessing, first as a student, to get to know our community in New York, in the USA in 1993, then I had the blessing as a diplomat to get to know our community in London in 2002 and Athens in 2010, so I know very well your great and selfless love and concern for our country, for our Cyprus.
A thank you, then, to tonight's reception, which is not enough for your selfless, undivided and multi-level contribution. Your struggles have been and continue to this day to be the brightest beacon, the strongest helper for all the Governments of the Republic of Cyprus over the years, in our efforts first and foremost to end the occupation, to find a viable and workable solution that will do justice to the Cypriot people.
And let me insist on the selflessness that I personally experienced, in what our ancestors called philotimo and which, as a product of time, became a Greek privilege, since, as you will know, it does not exist in the vocabulary of any other language in the world. Philotimo, love of giving for one's fellow man, society, country without ever expecting anything in return. It is this philanthropy that you personify and that you advertise all over the globe, and obviously, made you stand out, succeed and distinguish yourselves as global ambassadors of our homeland.
This honor that the Republic of Cyprus offers you today is nothing but the certification of this excellence to the society and especially to your country.
Within the framework of this institution that was established a few years ago, tonight we pay the minimum honour that the State owes to five of our compatriots who have distinguished themselves for their virtuous ethics and their contribution. I am referring to Mrs Ismeni Michael, Mr Stelios Georgiadis, Mr Kyriakos Tsiupra, Mr Paschalis Kitromilidis and Mr. Your contribution to the homeland will be eternally grateful to me personally, but more importantly to the entire Cypriot people."
Subsequently, the President of the Republic awarded the Medal of Outstanding Contribution to the five honoured expatriates. Receiving the Medal, Ms Michael thanked the President for the honour and said that "I owe this to His Excellency President Nicos Christodoulides, whom I had the opportunity and honour to know and appreciate during his student days in New York. I hope that God will help you to continue your work. I would also like to thank the Federation of Cypriot Organizations of America and especially its President Mr. Kyriakos Papastefanou for the great work he is doing with the Federation and to thank our dear Mr. Phillip Christopher, President of PSEKA and the Pancyprian Association of America of which I am also a member. Wherever we are, wherever we are we have love in our souls and we all strive for a common cause which is none other than the freedom of our Cyprus."
For his part, Mr. Georgiades said that "today we are the honoured ones, but really the honour is ours. I want to thank my parents, refugees from Famagusta and from the border town of Kaimakli, my brothers and sisters who are here, my wife who is from Rhodes and my children, Harry and Katerina, who are the future of Hellenism abroad. I am very proud of all expatriate Cypriot Greeks. We have achieved a lot in difficult circumstances, but I truly believe that with the guidance of the old generation, our young people, who are very many here today, can achieve much more to free our Cyprus and see it where it deserves in the world."
Receiving the Medal on behalf of her father, Mrs. Katerina Tsioupra said "a heartfelt thank you on behalf of our father for this honourable distinction."
Receiving the Medal on behalf of her father, Mrs. Katerina Tsioupra said "a heartfelt thank you on behalf of our father for this honourable distinction. It is indeed touching to receive such an honour in recognition of our father's work for his dedication and focus on the Cypriot community in London and Cyprus. This honour has significant meaning for our father. With a pen in hand and an unwavering love for his country, our father worked tirelessly in the journalistic field with the ambition of a free and reunited Cyprus. It is with gratitude that I receive this honorary distinction from the Republic of Cyprus for our father."
For his part, Mr. Kitromilides said "I thank His Excellency the President and those who contributed in any way to this distinction and honor of our former compatriots and I thank our federations, my brothers who I have worked with for so many years. I would like to plead with the President to keep this institution because there are so many people out there who are worthwhile, who have worked and indeed should be remembered and who are much better than me." Finally, Kapnulas said "thank you for the honor, it is a great touching moment of vindication and strengthening to continue doing what we have been doing so far for as many years as God gives us more. I was slightly surprised by the initiative because I do not feel at all expatriate. I feel that I belong here and I have a Cyprus in me that may no longer exist, but it lives in me, as it does in so many people, both expatriates and those who live in the homeland. And we want to see the vindication of this Cyprus one day."
Earlier, the President of the Republic, in a meeting with members of the Central Council of Expatriates, gave a briefing on the Cyprus problem. Before the meeting with President Christodoulides, a delegation of expatriates laid a wreath at the statue of the National Archbishop Makarios III in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace. (PM/IS)
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