Paris Demetriades
In a week marked by rapid developments on the international political stage, Cyprus’s renowned geographical position as a crossroads of continents and cultures was undeniably evident at the opening ceremony of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU. This was reflected both in the presence of leaders and officials from Europe and the Middle East, with a strong Arab presence, and in the artistic program presented before the dignitaries, which essentially showcased the key milestones in the history of our island from antiquity to the present day.
From the morning hours of Wednesday, January 7, the roads around the Main Stage of the Cyprus Theatre Organisation, where the ceremony was to take place, were closed to the public, with increased security measures by the police ahead of the arrival of foreign officials. An additional alert was put into effect at the last moment due to the presence of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the ceremony.
As part of the event, the new square of Nicosia, developed on the site of the old GSP stadium, was transformed beyond recognition. Large, tall tents were set up in the area to provide support services for journalists, local and foreign, who were invited to cover the proceedings, as well as to host the reception that took place immediately after the completion of the ceremony.
The first to arrive at the venue, around 17:45, was the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Philippa Karsera. With a long red carpet laid out at the entrance of the Cyprus Theatre Organisation, the presidential couple stood there for about an hour, greeting with handshakes the prominent political figures who came to Cyprus specifically for the ceremony. In particular, President Christodoulides warmly welcomed, through handshakes and embraces, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council António Costa, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Moldova Maia Sandu, the President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid, the President of Lebanon General Joseph Aoun, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.
During the arrival of the leaders, a brief moment of tension, as expected, occurred when the Ukrainian President arrived and a Cypriot journalist, after wishing him a happy New Year, loudly asked him to comment on the issue of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus. It is perhaps worth noting that, apart from Ms. von der Leyen and Mr. Costa, who represent the EU institutions, no leader of an EU member state came to Cyprus for the ceremony.
In addition to the aforementioned foreign leaders, the opening ceremony of the Cypriot Presidency was attended by the leaders of almost all political parties, Archbishop Georgios, the ministers and deputy ministers of the Christodoulides government, the six Cypriot Members of the European Parliament, former President Nicos Anastasiades, the mayors of the major cities, and representatives of foreign embassies in Cyprus.
After the political speeches, which lasted considerably longer than scheduled, delivered by the Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna, President Christodoulides, Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa, and Volodymyr Zelensky, whose intervention was added to the program at the last minute, the artistic program of the opening ceremony followed. Approximately one hundred Cypriot artists from all forms of the arts appeared on the Main Stage of the Cyprus Theatre Organisation.
The first warm applause from the audience was drawn by the appearance on stage of Mrs. Eleni Foka, the emblematic teacher from Karpasia who worked for many years as an enclaved teacher at a school in the occupied village of Agia Triada. A strong impression was subsequently made by the undeniably moving performance of the great actress Despina Bebedeli, who recited in the Cypriot dialect a poem by the folk poet from Xylotymbou, Kyriakos Karneras. Warm applause was also rightly given to the impressive women’s choir Amalgamation, as well as to the appearance on stage of champion Marios Georgiou.
The artistic program, directed by Kostas Silvestrou, with production management by Stavros Stavrou and musical curation by Antis Skordis, was enriched by the participation of a group from the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, the band Monsieur Doumani, sculptor Nikos Kourousis, street artist Twenty Three, Turkish Cypriot visual artist Nourtaine Karagil, the popular sculptor Hambis Tsangaris, and musician Elli Michael.
