The opening ceremony of the 2023 World Congress of Cypriots in the Diaspora is scheduled to take place Tuesday, at the University of Cyprus at 7 pm (local time).

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, will inaugurate the proceedings, while the program of the Conference will be presented by the Deputy Government Spokesperson, Doxa Komodromou.

Among other attendees, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece responsible for Overseas Greeks, Giorgos Kotsiras, will also visit Cyprus.

As part of the visit, Mr Kotsiras will be received by Mr. Christodoulides, as stated by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Furthermore, the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs will also meet with the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, and with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos.

He will also be received by the Archbishop of Nea Justiniana and All of Cyprus, George.

In addition, on the sidelines of the Conference, he will have a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart, the Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs, Soha Samir Nashed Gendi, as well as with his Armenian counterpart, the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, Zareh Sinanyan.

During his stay in Cyprus, Mr Kotsiras will lay a wreath at the “Tymbos Makedonitissas” Military Cemetery and the “Prisoners’ Memorials,” and he will hold a series of meetings with Greek community associations.

What Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reported:

With the participation of approximately 280 delegates, the World Congress of Cypriots in the Diaspora is set to commence tonight, August 22.

The conference, scheduled to run until August 25, will feature a speech by President Christodoulides.

Among the speakers will be Ministers from Cyprus and Greece, accredited ambassadors in Nicosia, as well as party leaders.

Notably, for the first time, the American Senator and Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Robert Menendez, will be in attendance and address the conference.

Specifically, as reported by Thalia Polydorou Antoniou, Head of the Service for Cypriot Expatriates & Repatriates, “around 300 participants are joining the conference, including approximately 20 repatriated Cypriots from five different countries. They will attend the Opening Ceremony and some of the conference sessions.”

The participation includes 235 individuals from 11 countries through POMAK-UK and 45 individuals from 8 countries through NEPOMAK.

Detailed participation from the United Kingdom counts 125 attendees, 60 from the U.S., 30 from Australia, 35 from Greece, and regions of Africa such as Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Zimbabwe, a total of 15 participants. Additionally, 15 attendees from France, Austria, and Luxembourg are participating.

In attendance will also be the Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs of Egypt, Soha Gendi, the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, Zareh Sinanyan, the Minister of Education of Alberta, Canada, Dr Dimitrios Nikolaides, the President of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots (POMAK), Andreas Papaevripides, the President of the World Coordinating Committee for the Cyprus Struggle (PSEKA), Philip Christopher, and the President of the Youth of Overseas Cypriots (NEPOMAK), Christos Touton.

The Opening Ceremony will take place at the University of Cyprus and will be broadcast live by RIK. Simultaneous transmission will also be carried out by CYTA Live Streaming.

The event will commence with an artistic program curated by Vasiliki Hadjiadamou, where participants will experience the cultural heritage of Cyprus and the broader Hellenic region through the sounds of violin, lute, kanun, and clarinet, featuring the participation of the Cultural Association “Nostos” from Pissouri.

The delegates will be welcomed by the Government Spokesperson, Constantinos Letymbiotis, and greetings will be offered by Andreas Papaevripides, President of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots (POMAK), Philip Christopher, President of the World Coordinating Committee for the Cyprus Struggle (PSEKA), and Christos Touton, President of the Youth of Overseas Cypriots (NEPOMAK).

Representing the Greek government, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for Diaspora Affairs, Giorgos Kotsiras, will address the attendees.

Greetings will also be delivered by the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, and Archbishop of Cyprus, George, while President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, will deliver a speech and inaugurate the proceedings.

Furthermore, a photographic exhibition titled “When the Beautiful Past Meets the Tragic Present” by Anastasios Dimitriadis will be showcased in the vestibule of the University of Cyprus Senate Building.

The exhibition, it was mentioned, “offers an enlightening experience, filled with intense emotions about the tragic events and the consequences of the Turkish invasion on our beautiful island.”

The exhibition has already been successfully presented in Brussels, initiated by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.

The Conference

The conference proceedings will commence on Wednesday, August 23, at the Senate Building of the University of Cyprus.

The program will begin with a presentation of the Agenda of the 21st World Conference of Cypriots of the Diaspora organized by POMAK-PSEKA, followed by the determination of the 30th Central Council Session of POMAK-PSEKA in 2024.

The President of POMAK, Andreas Papaeuryprides, will provide a summary, and there will be a discussion about changes to the POMAK Statute, which will continue in the afternoon.

The participants will be updated in a closed session on the topic of Hydrocarbons/Energy Policy by the Minister of Energy, Trade, and Industry, Georgios Papathanasiou, while the Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Pikkis, will inform about the coordination of governmental work.

Marios Tannousis, CEO of the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA), will brief the participants on investment matters, while the Minister of Health, Popi Kanari, will provide information on GESY (General Healthcare System) issues and the possibilities of integration into the Plan for Cypriots Abroad & Repatriated Persons.

The Minister of Education, Culture, and Youth, Athena Michaelidou, along with the Deputy Executive Director of the Cyprus Youth Board (NEPOMAK), Maria Miltiadous, will also provide updates on Youth matters.

On the same day, the members of the Central Council of POMAK-PSEKA-NEPOMAK will visit the Presidential Palace, where they will receive a briefing on the Cyprus issue by President Christodoulides in a closed session. Later, after the arrival of the remaining participants at the Presidential Palace, President Christodoulides and the First Lady will host a reception in honour of the delegates of the World Conference of Cypriots of the Diaspora organized by POMAK-PSEKA and NEPOMAK.

Distinguished Cypriots of the Diaspora and Repatriated Persons will be honored by the President of the Republic.

On Thursday, August 24, the Conference of the World Coordinating Committee for the Cyprus Struggle (PSEKA) will take place with a presentation of the Committee’s Activities Report by the organization’s President, Philip Christopher. After reports on PSEKA activities from all Vice Presidents, a brief video from the PSEKA conference in Washington will be presented, featuring messages from U.S. Senators.

Additionally, there will be an update on the Missing Persons issued by the Head of Humanitarian Affairs for Missing and Enclaved Persons, Anna Aristotelous, and the Representative of the Turkish Cypriot side in the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP), Leonidas Pantelides, in the presence of Organizations of Relatives of Missing Persons. There will be brief interventions by the President of the Pancyprian Organization of Relatives of Undeclared Prisoners and Missing Persons, Nikos Sergides, the President of the Panhellenic Committee of Parents and Relatives of Undeclared Prisoners and Missing Persons of the Cyprus Tragedy, Maria Kalpourtzi, and the President of the Committee of Relatives of Missing Persons in the United Kingdom, Neoklis Neokleous.

Next, in a closed session, there will be an update on foreign policy issues by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Konstantinos Kombos, and an intervention on International Mass Media and the contribution of the Diaspora in promoting our National Issue by the Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

This will be followed by a Roundtable Discussion with interventions by the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus, Julie D. Fisher, the French Ambassador to Cyprus, Salina Grenet Catalano, the Israeli Ambassador to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, and the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Cyprus, Irfan Siddiq. The Ambassadors will respond to questions.

The participants will also receive an update on Defense matters in a closed session by the Minister of Defense, Michalis Giorgallas, and the Chief of the National Guard, Major General Demokritos Zervakis.

Additionally, there will be a presentation on the work of the Cyprus Children’s Relief Committee by the Honorary President of the Committee, First Lady Filippa Karsera Christodoulides, and the President of the Committee, General Accountant of the Republic of Cyprus, Andreas Antoniades.

At 5.15 pm U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, will deliver a honorary address to the conference.

On Friday, August 25, the participants will receive an update from Petros Kkolias and a trailer will be screened for the documentary “Queens of Amathounta,” showcasing the stories of 22 immigrant women from Cyprus during World War II.

Following that, greetings will be extended by leaders or representatives of the Parliamentary Parties Movement of Ecologists – Cooperation of Citizens (EDEK), Democratic Rally (DISY), Democratic Party (DIKO), Solidarity Movement (EKEL), Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), and Democratic Party of the People (DIPA), followed by a discussion.

There will also be a discussion on “The Relations of the Committee of Occupied Communities with the Cypriots of the Diaspora and the Role it is Called to Play in Enlightening the Cyprus Problem,” by the President of the Union of Occupied Communities in the Nicosia District, Eleftherios Antoniou.

Following that, the drafting and approval of Resolutions will take place, and there will be an update on “The Power of the Woman of the Diaspora” by the President of the Cyprus Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW Cyprus), and elections of the conference.

In the evening, a concert titled “Cyprus Now and Forever” will be held featuring Miltos Paschalidis and the Chorus of Adouloti Keryneia. Notable performers from Greece and Cyprus will participate, with artistic direction by the Cypriot lyricist-poet Polys Kyriakou. The concert is under the auspices of the Service of Cypriot Expatriates and Repatriated Persons of the Presidency and PSEKA and will take place at Skali Aglantzias in Nicosia.

During the conference on August 23-25, there will also be the registration of all participants on the Online Platform for Cypriots in the Diaspora, www.cydiaspora.gov.cy.

Dandelions or “pikralida”

It’s noted that the invitation features dandelions or “pikralida,” which holds special symbolism for the conference. Specifically, the “pikralida” is a delicate and light flower that shatters in the wind, symbolizing our Cyprus. As explained to CNA by the Head of the Service for Cypriots Abroad and Repatriated Persons, Ms. Polydorou-Antoniou, its scattered flowers disperse in the wind and take root.

“In the same way, our diaspora members spread out to various foreign countries,” she said.

“The ‘pikralida’ grows anywhere, just like the Cypriots of the Diaspora have developed, excelled, made us proud in various countries around the world, and became the best ambassadors of our country. No matter what trials this flower may face, its root remains alive in the soil and blooms again next year. Similarly, our diaspora’s relationship with their homeland: a deeply rooted and resilient bond,” she added.