The award ceremony took place on Friday, during an event organized by the Office of the European Parliament, at the EU House, in Nicosia and the awards were presented by the MEPs of AKEL and the European United Left, Takis Hadjigeorgiou and Neoklis Silikiotis, .
In his speech, Takis Hatzidimitriou characterized today as important and said that "culture and mutual respect for what characterizes us as common and different, constitutes the most stable foundation on which we will be able to build our common future."
Making a "first report" after seven years of operation of the Bicommunal Technical Committee, he said that, with its operation, "a big problem could become, even if at least, smaller". At the same time, he added that the work that remains to be done is still great.
The recipient of the award did not shy away from referring to the allegations - in his expression - that the Technical Committees dealing with culture are being exploited to manipulate the people towards the solution that the leaders are negotiating in the talks. "The solution has its own culture and looks forward to a different future," he said, referring to the performance of "Hippolytus" in occupied Salamis and the Farantouri-Livaneli concert on the green line that, as he said, united the people.
Finally, he wished the message of the Technical Committee to become a common property of all Cypriots and to turn Cyprus into a place that radiates peace and mutual understanding.
For his part, Ali Tudai said that culture should not be a factor of division, but of reconciliation.
He also thanked the MEPs and said that they receive the award on behalf of the members of the Technical Committee.
He also spoke about the difficult struggle they had to face in this particular job, but said that the members of the committee, E / k and T / k, learned to work together.
The catastrophe reminds us of past wars and crimes, Tunjai said, adding that cultural heritage, instead of being an element of reconciliation, was a source of conflict and was treated as something that belonged to the other and not to us.
"The monastery of Apostle Andreas and the Hala Sultan's tomb belong to all of us and we have a duty to protect the monuments for future generations," he said.
He also thanked the two leaders for supporting their work and wished that any obstacles to the restoration of cultural heritage be removed.
In closing, he thanked three women, his wife, Mine, the wife of Takis Hadjidimitriou, Katia and his mother, who, as he said, despite the pain he experienced, taught him to love humanity and not to hate.
Among the nominees, MEP Takis Hatzigeorgiou, referring to the reasoning of the award and said that the two honorees are doing a huge job in favor of the restoration. In addition to the reconstruction of the monuments, he added, "what is behind it, which is certainly the mosaics of Cypriot history" is equally huge.
The two, he continued, restore the belief and the belief that together we can, radiate the possibility of communication, while they manage through many difficulties to find a common language and to fight.
The MEP also referred to the ongoing talks on the Cyprus issue, saying that they have prospects, but there are also difficulties.
We must be prepared and careful, he said, as the solution will mainly concern future generations. He called on the two leaders to be committed, as he said "this case no longer raises issues". He said that we should all concentrate on the work that everyone has to perform "in order to give the Cypriots who come a homeland that they deserve".
The other MEP, Neoklis Silikiotis, spoke in his greeting about the work of the two winners, their huge contribution to the restoration of cultural heritage, but also to the promotion of the idea of peaceful coexistence of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot.
"Ali Tountzai and Takis Hadjidimitriou join forces and convey the message that the pain caused by the bloody events in Cyprus is common to all" and "should not act as a tool for the development of nationalism," he said.
On the contrary, he continued, "it must function as knowledge that strengthens our struggle for the reunification of Cyprus and its people."
Mr. Silikiotis concluded that the award could only be given to Takis and Ali, "who by their actions prove in practice what mutual respect, common struggle, humanity means".
The other Cypriot MEPs who were present also spoke. Lefteris Christoforou of DISY and the European People's Party said that the two are rightly awarded the commendation, while it is an honor for all to have people whose work and work show that we can restore the monuments and reunite our homeland.
Costas Mavridis of DIKO and the Socialist Group congratulated the honorees and said that the award was given for the work done in the past, but creates a great responsibility for the future of the place, which is within the EU.
Dimitris Papadakis of EDEK and the Group of Socialists wished that in the future we do not need to restore the monuments, but to preserve them, and expressed the hope that soon the reality will be very different.
The Head of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus, Andreas Kettis, finally said that this year's winners of the award "not only contribute to the preservation of the cultural heritage of Cyprus, but also preserve and enrich the multiculturalism of the EU itself".
Hadjidimitriou and Tountzai are jointly on the list of 47 nominees selected by the European Parliament as winners of the Prize. During the month there will be a special festive event in Brussels for all the winners from all Member States.
The event was attended, among others, by the Deputy Government Spokesman Viktoras Papadopoulos, the Speaker of Parliament Giannakis Omirou, the former Presidents of the Republic George Vassilios and Dimitris Christofias, as well as the former Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, representative body and crowd that flooded the event hall.
Source: KYPE