A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday 21/1 for the creation of a temporary headquarters of the Gallery of the Municipality of Famagusta in Ayia Napa.
The Memorandum was signed at 12.00m. in the "Ayia Napa Municipal Museum Museum » by the Mayor of Ayia Napa Mr. Christos Zannettou and the Mayor of Famagusta Dr. Simos Ioannou.
The two Mayors excitedly expressed the mutual respect towards each other but also the joy that the transfer of these Paintings to Ayia Napa gives them.
Dr. Simos Ioannou, stated that this is a strange joy since these are some paintings that should have been in the Municipal Gallery of Famagusta at the moment, but are here. Features said «It does not matter though, I'm sure they will one day return to where they belong. At the Municipal Gallery of Famagusta.»
He then thanked the bi-communal committee, which managed to bring these Tables to the Republic of Cyprus, the Ministry of Education that helped make this exchange, but also the Municipal Secretaries and the Members of the Committees of the two Municipalities. He gave special thanks to the Municipality of Ayia Napa and Mr. Christos Zannettou, where according to what Mr. Simos Ioannou said, with his own actions it was possible for the paintings to go to Ayia Napa.
The Mayor of Famagusta, also noted that after his tour of the place where he will house the paintings he is sure that many people will see these paintings and will remember Famagusta adding that it is the best place where these paintings could be placed .
Finally, Mr. Simos Ioannou assured the people of Famagusta that "the Community Council is handling this issue. These paintings are very expensive, but for us they are not their real value, they are the emotional value more. The Municipality of Ayia Napa will be the custodian of these Tables. We hope that one day they will return to the place to which they belong. "
For his part, the Mayor of Ayia Napa, Mr. Christos Zannettou, stated that this memorandum was signed with a feeling of emotion, because according to him, "Our memory refers us to the occupied Famagusta, to our roots and to the Metropolitan Municipality".
The Municipal Gallery of Famagusta will acquire its temporary headquarters until the liberation of the city of Famagusta next April at the Municipal Museum of Ayia Napa "Sea", which will house 140 rescued emblematic works of leading Cypriot and Greek artists from the collection of or were hosted like the Cypriots Paul Georgiou, Stelios Votsi, Georgiou Polyviou Georgiou, Diamantis, Kanthos, Kasialos, Christoforos Savvas, Nikos Nikolaidis, and the Greeks Moralis, Kontoglou, Tsarouchi, Chatzikyriakou-Gika etc. The paintings will enrich the "Ayia Napa Sea Museum", said Mr. Zannettou, which "It will keep our memory alive, for a return to Famagusta. It creates new conditions and of course in a destination such as Ayia Napa, where the people from today will be able to be immediately informed about the political problem of the occupation we are facing. I want to wish, as soon as we have a free Cyprus, a free Famagusta, and the paintings to be transferred where they belong, to the Gallery of Famagusta, to our Metropolitan Municipality ".
Finally, the Mayor of Ayia Napa thanked the Municipality of Famagusta for the trust and cooperation shown and assured Dr. Ioannou that as the Municipality of Ayia Napa, will do everything for the promotion of the Paintings, adding that it will be together with the Municipality of Famagusta, until the end, "Until we see these homeland lands, liberated from the Turkish yoke."
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