Address by the Acting President of the Republic, Mr Y. L.
Omirou,
at the opening of the “5th Le:Notre Landscape Forum Pafos 2016”
It is a great honour and pleasure for me to address the opening of
the Le:Notre Landscape Forum Pafos 2016, hosted by the Neapolis University of
Pafos and to welcome you all to my home town.
I also have the pleasure to welcome the Minister of Agriculture,
Rural Development and the Environment, Mr Nicos Kouyialis , as well as all of the distinguished speakers who are here to share
with us their knowledge and expertise, on the topics covered by this
forum.
The Le Notre Landscape Forum has, for the last few years, been a
point of reference in Europe in matters concerning the development of the urban,
rural and cultural landscape, with the core objective of achieving
sustainability, since it employs a completely different approach from other
similar events which focuses on dialogue, debate and discourse. During the next
few days, the participants in this forum shall not only have the opportunity to
examine the current situation in Pafos as well as the innovations and
technologies capable of securing the sustainable economic, touristic and social
development of urban and rural areas in a way that enhances the citizens’
quality of life, but also to exchange good practices implemented in other
European cities to this end.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Cyprus, a country with a history that stretches back to the
Paleolithic era is positioned at the crossroads of 3 continents and has,
throughout its turbulent history, attracted scores of conquerors who have left
their indelible mark both in the architecture of Cyprus’ landscapes, and in the
local culture, shaping it into a truly cosmopolitan place. The town of Pafos,
constitutes one of the most richly endowed towns of Cyprus in terms of
archaeological and cultural riches, and it is for this reason that Pafos was
selected to be the European Capital of Culture for the year 2017, which is a
great honour for our town but at the same time an enormous challenge for
us.
As you may have well noticed, the town of Pafos is in the midst of a
transformation, with several infrastructure projects currently under way, aiming
at the enhancement of the amenities offered to citizens and visitors alike,
while at the same time highlighting the town’s historic monuments and its
culture. These projects, which are long overdue, are necessary in order to
negate the effects of the rapid and rather inadequately planned development of
the previous decades that was necessitated by the need to reconstruct the island
following the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the ongoing occupation of 37% of its
territory, as well as the imperative need to provide housing to the thousands of
refugees who fled the occupied areas.
The ongoing financial and economic crisis, which has taken a
particular toll on Pafos, has also adversely affected infrastructure projects in
the town and district of Pafos, since many projects have either been scaled down
or cancelled altogether. The limited finances at our disposal today, dictate
that more has to be done with for less, and that spending must be allocated to
sustainable projects, in an effort to eradicate the costly mistakes of the past.
It is in this effort that the input of the Le:Notre Landscape Forum becomes
crucial since the knowledge and expertise that will be shared in this forum can
be utilised to shape public projects so as to ensure the full and sustainable
exploitation of the town’s features while enhancing and promoting its history
and culture.
The Le:Notre Landscape Forum can also play a crucial role in the
shaping of sustainable projects for the rural areas of Pafos which will not only
enhance the daily lives of the citizens but will also help to counter the
phenomenon of urbanization. One such tangible contribution of the Le:Notre
Landscape forum is the Le:Notre International Student Competition concerning the
creation of a landscape involving the Avakas Gorge and the Pano and Kato Arodes
villages. The solutions presented by the participants to the said competition,
demonstrate the potential of the Le:Notre forum to produce sustainable solutions
to development needs that have been lingering for decades without comprehensive
solution.
Undoubtedly, through the thematic working groups of the current
Le:Notre Landscape forum, further innovative proposals for solutions are
expected to be produced in the fields of the promotion of sustainable tourism,
the enhancement of the heritage of Pafos through the landscaping of the
archaeological park of Kato Pafos as well as the landscaping of the rural areas
of the district of Pafos, which have been long standing challenges for us.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In closing, I would like to congratulate the organisers of the forum and especially the President of the Neapolis University
of Pafos, Mr Michael Leptos, and Professor Julia Georgi, Head of the Department
of Architecture, Land and Environment of the Neapolis University for
successfully bidding and securing the hosting of this year’s Le:Notre Landscape
Forum in Pafos, with the invaluable support of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.
I would also like to extend my warmest thanks to the keynote speakers who have
cordially offered to share their knowledge and expertise with the participants
to this forum, thereby guaranteeing the success of its proceedings and to wish
to the participants in the Le:Notre International Student Competition the best
of luck.
Thank you for your kind attention and I wish you all a productive and
successful meeting.
