Address by the Director of the Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus, Ms Aliki Stylianou, at the reception hosted by the PIO in honour of the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in the context of the exhibition “51 years later; life persists”

From:

Press and Information Office

30/07/25 20:45 | Speech / Address | Cyprus Problem, Internal Affairs

I am delighted to welcome you all to this special event. It is a rare occurrence to be in the company of such esteemed and cherished individuals

I will therefore seize this golden opportunity to share with you my belief that the Press and Information Office (PIO) can contribute to promoting Cyprus’s positions, as well as enhancing its image, both within Cyprus and abroad.

Our shared objective is to provide the European public and the international community with accurate and timely information on Cyprus. To this end, the development and upkeep of good relations with the media in your country of accreditation is undoubtedly of crucial importance, as are promotional activities that showcase the Cyprus Problem as well as its cultural wealth.

We hope that, together, we will create more opportunities to organise such activities. The PIO has photographic exhibitions, books and promotional material, which if utilised effectively, could provide additional value to events organised by Diplomatic Missions.

An example of this is the special exhibition we are presenting this evening, titled “51 Years Later; Life Persists”, which is dedicated to the painful anniversaries of the 1974 coup and the Turkish invasion. It is in fact a moment of great emotion and pride for us as we present the PIO’s film “The Lady of Lapithos”. This production was born out of respect, love, and countless hours of work and effort.

This short film creatively recounts the story of Efrosyne Proestou, a woman who displayed immense courage and compassion. In 1974, amidst war, fear, and persecution, she selflessly devoted herself to caring for twelve stranded soldiers, attending to them as if they were her own children.

Moreover, the inviting area of the Old Nicosia Town Hall also hosts another short film produced by the PIO, titled “Life Persists”. This second film reveals the hidden reality of the Green Line, reminding us that despite the passing of time, life persists and the roots of this place remain intact.

In addition, we are presenting three photography exhibitions. The first exchibition features a selection of images from Tasos Dimitriadis’s album, “When the Beautiful Past Meets Tragedy”, a visual dialogue between the past and the present of the enclosed town of Varosha, where life was so violently interrupted in August 1974.

The second photographic exhibition, presented by the distinguished photographer Katia Christodoulou, is also themed around the famous city of Evagoras. In her selection of photographs of Ammochostos’s windows from the Frankish era until 1974, the windows appear as the city’s eyes, bearing witness to its history.

We also invite you to join us on a short mental stroll along Ermou Street, just 200 metres away, through the photographic exhibition titled “In the Shadow of the Green Line”. The invisible weight of time and abandonment is captured in the collection of photographs by Stavros Ioannides, Senior Photographer at the PIO.

However, life persists.

We at the Press and Information Office also persist. We are committed to informing people, raising awareness and preserving the memory and truth of our homeland.

I would like to thank everyone who is here with us today.

My colleagues and I remain at your disposal to discuss ways of strengthening our cooperation further.

Thank you all for being here.

(ΑS/IA)

Address by the Director of the Press and Information Office of the Republic of Cyprus, Ms Aliki Stylianou, at the reception hosted by the PIO in honour of the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in the context of the exhibition “51 years later; life persists”

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