World Conference of Cyprus Diaspora begins in Nicosia

The World Conference of Cyprus Diaspora begins on the afternoon of Tuesday, 22 August with the participation of 300 delegates from around the world.

President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides will address delegates during the conference that is scheduled to run until 25 August, while dignitaries from Cyprus and Greece, as well as ambassadors and political party leaders will brief participants. US Senator Robert Menendez will take part at the conference for the first time, a move that is considered historic, according to organisers.

The Opening will be held at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia and will be shown live on CyBC and will also stream live.

The opening ceremony will be addressed by Government Spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, President of the World Federation of Overseas Cypriots (POMAK), Andreas Papaevripides, President of the International Coordinating Committee - Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), Philip Christopher and also President of the Youth of the World Federation of Overseas Christos Tuton. On behalf of the Greek Government, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for the Greek Diaspora, Giorgos Kotsiras will address delegates, as well as President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou and Archbishop of Cyprus, Georgios. President Christodoulides will deliver the keynote speech.

Thalia Antoniou, Head of Overseas and Repatriated Cypriots Service told CNA that around 300 people are taking part in the Diaspora conference which also includes 200 20 Cypriots who have been repatriated from five different countries.

She said on behalf of POMAK-PSEKA, 235 individuals from 11 countries will participate, while from NEPOMAK, 45 individuals from eight countries will take part. Specifically, there are 125 participants from the United Kingdom, 60 from the United States, 30 from Australia, 35 from Greece, and 15 from African regions such as South Africa and Zimbabwe. Additionally, 15 individuals are participating from France, Austria, and Luxembourg.

Additionally, present at the event will be Soha Gendi, the Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs of Egypt, Zareh Sinanyan, the Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs of Armenia, Dr. Dimitrios Nicolaides, the Minister of Education of Alberta, Canada, Savvas Tsivikos, the Supreme President of AHEPA, and Ioannis Chrysoulakis, the General Secretary of the Greek Diaspora.

A photography exhibition entitled 'When the beautiful past meets the tragic present will be presented by Anastasios Demetriades in the lobby of the Senate building of the University of Cyprus. 

The conference proceedings will commence on Wednesday, 23 August, at the University of Cyprus Senate Building. The programme will include the presentation of the agenda for the 21st World Conference of Cypriot Diaspora by POMAK-PSEKA, as well as determining the 30th Central Council Session of POMAK-PSEKA for 2024. There will be a report from the President of POMAK, Andreas Papaevripides, as well as a discussion regarding changes to the POMAK Constitution, which will continue into the afternoon.

The delegates will be briefed in a closed session on the topic of Hydrocarbons/Energy Policy by the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, George Papanastasiou. Additionally, the Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Pikis, will update participants on the governmental work.

Marios Tannousis, the CEO of Invest Cyprus will inform the delegates about investment matters while Minister of Health, Popi Kanari, will deliver a presentation on issues related to the General Healthcare System (GESY) and the possibilities of integration into the Plan for Cypriot Expatriates & Repatriates. The Minister of Education, Culture, and Youth, Athena Michaelidou, along with the Deputy Executive Director of the Cyprus Youth Organisation, Maria Miltiadous, will share information about Youth matters.

On the same day, members of the Central Council of POMAK-PSEKA-NEPOMAK will go to the Presidential Palace, where they will receive a closed-door briefing on the Cyprus issue from President Christodoulides. Later, upon the arrival of the remaining delegates at the Presidential Palace, President Christodoulides and the First Lady will host a reception in honour of the delegates of the World Conference of Cypriot Diaspora by POMAK-PSEKA and NEPOMAK. Distinguished Cypriots from the Diaspora and Repatriates will be honoured by the President of the Republic during this event.

On Thursday, 24 August, the Conference of the World Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA) will take place, featuring a presentation of the activities report by the President of the organisation, Philip Christopher. After reports on PSEKA's actions by all Vice Presidents, a brief video from the PSEKA conference in Washington will be presented, featuring messages from American Senators from the United States.

Delegates will also be briefed on issues concerning the missing persons by the Head of Humanitarian Issues of Missing Persons and Enclaved Greek Cypriots, Anna Aristotelous and the Greek Cypriot representative to the Committee for Missing Persons Leonidas Pantelides. There will be brief interventions by the President of the Pancyprian Organisation 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 Neocleous.

In a closed session, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Constantinos Kombos will brief participants on foreign policy matters while Government Spokesperson Letymbiotis, will address the topic of International Mass Media and the contribution of Expatriates to the promotion of the Cyprus issue.

This will be followed by a roundtable discussion featuring contributions from the Ambassador of the United States to Cyprus, Julie D. Fisher, the Ambassador of France to Cyprus, Salina Grenet Catalano, the Ambassador of Israel to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, and the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Cyprus, Irfan Siddiq. The Ambassadors will field questions from the attendees.

The delegates will also receive a closed-session briefing on Defence matters from the Minister of Defence, Michalis Georgallas, and the Chief of the National Guard, Major General Democritos Zervakis.

At the same time, there will be a presentation on the work of the Cyprus Children's Aid Committee by the Honourary President of the Committee, First Lady Philipa Karsera Christodoulides, and the President of the Committee, the Auditor General of the Republic of Cyprus, Andreas Antoniades.

On Thursday, 24 August at 5.15pm, US Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Robert Menendez, will deliver a commemorative address to the conference.

On Friday, 25 August 25, the delegates will be briefed by Petros Kkolas, and a trailer for the documentary 'The Queens of Amathus' will be screened. The documentary showcases the stories of 22 migrant women from Cyprus during the period of World War II.

After that, the conference will be addressed by leaders or representatives of the Parliamentary Parties, the Ecologists and Environmental Movement, the Democratic Front, the Democratic Party, Socialist EDEK, ELAM, left-wing AKEL and right-wing Democratic Rally, followed by a discussion.

There will also be a discussion on the continuous dissemination of information to expatriates regarding all matters concerning Cyprus, particularly the Cyprus issue, through the production and distribution of informative materials. This will be led by the Director of the Press and Information Office, Aliki Stylianou.

Additionally, a brief presentation of the International Annual AHEPA Conference 2024, to be held for the first time in Cyprus, will be delivered by the new Supreme President of AHEPA, Savvas Tsivikos, in the presence of the President of AHEPA Cyprus and the President of the 'Daughters of Penelope - Amazones of Cyprus' Women's Organisation.

A discussion on 'The Relations of the Committee of Occupied Communities with the Cypriots of the Diaspora and the Role it is Called Upon to Play in Enlightening the Cyprus Problem' will take place, with the President of the Union of Occupied Communities in the Nicosia District, Eleftherios Antoniou.

Subsequently, the drafting and approval of Resolutions will take place. Meanwhile, there will be an update on 'The Power of Women in the Diaspora' by the President of the Cyprus Federation of Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals (BPW Cyprus), and the conference elections will follow.

On Friday, 25 August a concert titled 'Cyprus Now and Forever' will take place in the evening featuring Miltos Pashalides and the Kyrenia Choir. The concert will include participation from significant performers from Greece and Cyprus, and it is artistically curated by the Cypriot lyricist-poet Polys Kyriakou. The concert is being held under the auspices of the Office of the Commissioner for Cypriot Expatriates & Repatriated Cypriots, as well as the AHEPA and PSEKA organizations, and will take place at Skali Aglantzias in Nicosia.

Furthermore, as part of the conference proceedings from 23 - 25 August, all delegates will be concurrently registered on the Online Platform for Cypriot Diaspora at www.cydiaspora.gov.cy.

It's worth noting that the invitation depicts dandelions or a pincushion flower, which holds a significant symbolism for the conference.

Specifically, the pincushion flower is a delicate and lightweight bloom that is scattered by the wind, symbolising Cyprus.

As explained to CNA by the Head of the Office of the Commissioner for Cypriot Expatriates & Repatriated Cypriots, Thalia Polydorou-Antoniou, the flower's seeds scatter in the wind and take root. "Similarly, our expatriates spread out to various countries abroad," she noted. The pincushion flower grows anywhere it lands, just like Cypriots of the diaspora who have grown, flourished, and made us proud in various countries around the world, becoming the best ambassadors of our country, she added.

(Source: CNA)