Press Releases

It is with distinct honour that I join you today at the opening ceremony of the Jewish Community Centre in Larnaca and the Ground Breaking of the Jewish Holocaust Museum of Cyprus.

At the outset, I wish to express my heartfelt wishes and congratulations for the grand occasion of Israel’s 70^th independence anniversary and to acknowledge and pay tribute to the remarkable achievements of the people of Israel.

The history of Jews in Cyprus dates almost 2000 years back and the Centre we inaugurate today, in Larnaca, will enable the Jewish community to share with us its rich cultural heritage. A community with significant contributions to this country; contributions that shaped Cyprus in every aspect and, whose unique traditions enrich our multi-ethnic society and form a dynamic link between our two countries.

Both the Cypriot and Jewish Communities are united by their openness in diversity; a diversity which builds bridges and makes us stronger.

Since its establishment in 2005, the Jewish Community Cyprus successfully promotes the Jewish culture, history and traditions in Cyprus. We are enormously proud that your community is an integral part of our society, history and culture.

I take this opportunity to assure you, Mr Chairman, of our determination to continue supporting the development and strengthening of the Jewish Community in Cyprus.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Honourable guests,

The bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel are at the highest point ever and this reflects our common commitment for sincere political dialogue and to continue working together for the further enhancement of our cooperation in an ever increasing array of fields, particularly in important spheres such as energy, defence, communications, health, tourism, culture, technology and innovations.

Cyprus values our partnership as a vital element of its foreign policy and part of its broader aim of contributing to the security and stability of the region. The exemplary ties between our two countries can be a blueprint to other countries of the region, the ultimate goal being regional peace and prosperity for the common good.

But most crucially, as we all witnessed in so many occasions, Cyprus and Israel actively stand by each other during the most difficult and critical times, something that proves our true friendship.

To name a few, let me remind you dear friends, that we immediately stepped in to assist during the devastating fires in Israel in 2016, exactly in the same manner your nation provided Cyprus a valuable firefighting assistance in quenching a wild blaze on the island’s coastline the previous year. Another example, only recently, a badly wounded Cypriot policeman immediately received emergency care in Israel.

Our friendship is real and our cooperation is beneficial to our respective societies. It is always important to effectively and efficiently demonstrate our closeness and solidarity to each other. Our future will be shaped by the values and principles we share. Values, which are rooted in our history and bring our communities closer.

We also consider the trilateral cooperation we have established with Israel and Greece to be of strategic significance. A partnership that reflects our common determination to create a multi-thematic framework of cooperation to the benefit of our countries and people, but also of our immediate region.

I also avail myself of this opportunity, ladies and gentlemen, to express my gratitude, on behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Cyprus, for Israel’s unwavering support towards our efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus Problem.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, we will also break the ground for the building of the Jewish Holocaust Museum of Cyprus, which apart from educating the visitors about the Holocaust and the Jewish history and culture, it will also offer a better understanding on how Cyprus played a pivotal role for the Jewish communities of Europe, and most importantly, how Cypriots supported Holocaust refugees.

The Holocaust is not only a hideous crime and a tragedy for the Jewish people; it is a failure of humanity as a whole. A crime we shall never forget.

Only those who have experienced first-hand the deprivation of war and the resulting sense of loss can truly understand what others in a similar predicament are going through. These circumstances, dear friends, created a special bond between the people of Cyprus and Israel.

The people of Cyprus embraced the Jewish refugees that passed from the established camps in Cyprus and significantly helped these Holocaust survivors in rebuilding, once again, their lives and return to their Jewish identities.

As Vera Federman, a Holocaust survivor, once said: “Believe in the power of the individual to make a difference in this world”. I believe that during those extremely difficult times, there were many brave Cypriots that managed to make a real difference in the lives of Holocaust refugees, a view also shared by the Jewish community as well.

As we pay tribute to the six million Holocaust victims, the memory of this atrocity, being passed through the generations by its survivors, makes it clear that the fight against hatred and bigotry is far from over. A tragic reminder of the horrific suffering and immense loss of human lives, a horror that will always remain embedded in history.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank the vibrant Cyprus Jewish Community for our close cooperation all these years and for serving the Jewish community residing in Cyprus, as well as the thousands of visitors choosing Cyprus as their preferred tourist or business destination.

Today, we honour the Jewish Community and the historical ties of friendship between Cyprus and Israel. It is also an auspicious occasion to reaffirm our willingness to continue enriching the strong bonds between our communities and peoples.

Thank you.

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Note: On behalf of the President of the Republic, the address was delivered by the Minister of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Mr Georgios Lakkotrypis.

AG/ML/SCH