An official ceremony was held today to
mark the completion of the conservation project of the Church of Panayia in the
occupied village of Trahoni, Kythrea. The church constitutes one of the first
completed projects of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage
(TCCH), set up in April 2008 for the maintenance, preservation, physical
protection and restoration of the immovable cultural heritage of Cyprus.
The conservation works of the Church of
Panayia were implemented, within 2013, by the United Nations Development
Programme – Partnership for the Future (UNDP-PFF) in cooperation with the TCCH,
and were fully funded by the European Union as part of its support to the
TCCH’s emergency measures and conservation projects.
The ceremony was held at the site of the church in the
occupied village and was attended, inter alia, by the two Heads and the members
of the TCCH, UNDP-PFF staff, EU representatives, Ambassadors of EU member
states to Cyprus, as well as dozens of people.
Speaking during the ceremony the Greek
Cypriot Head of the TCCH, Mr Takis Hadjidemetriou, thanked all those who worked
collectively for the completion of the project, noting that “the work of
preservation of our cultural heritage needs the coordination and cooperation of
a complex network of international organizations”. “Our humble work of saving
and preserving Cyprus’ cultural heritage becomes part of a global system of
principles and values which intimately relate to peace and civilization both at
local and international level”, Mr Hadjidemetriou added.
On his part the Turkish Cypriot Head of
the TCCH, Mr Ali Tuncay, said the completion of the project constitutes one the
first results of five years of intense discussions and work in the framework of
the Committee. He added that the most important achievement of the TCCH is the
establishment of trust between its members. He also expressed the view that
cultural heritage is not just about ‘stones and buildings’, but it can be an
essential tool for conflict resolution and confidence building.
Also addressing the ceremony were the
project manager on behalf of the UNDP-PFF, Ms Tiziana Zennaro, and the European
Commission representative and Head of Unit of the EU Task Force, Ms Alessandra
Viezzer.
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