Thousands of people - locals and foreign visitors - attended the events of the 2nd day of the 33rd Ayia Napa Festival, the official opening of which was announced last night by the Minister of Interior Mr. Konstantinos Petridis.
The official opening day of the Festival was also honored by the presence of the Ambassador of Russia in Cyprus Stanislav Osatsi, MPs, Mayors, delegations from the twin cities of Ioannina, Serres, the Russian city of Gelendzhik with which they have become sisters. (Saturday, September 23) the AD Phase of twinning was signed, as well as other official ones.
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Shortly before the inauguration by the Minister, the Philharmonic of the Cyprus Police Force played Greek music and the Dance Club of the Municipality of Ayia Napa danced traditional dances.
Immediately after the inauguration, the Minister toured the Festival premises, where he admired the various exhibitions and activities and tasted traditional products made by housewives at the time in the courtyard of the Farmhouse, such as the traditional halloumi, hot bread, pasta and zivania.
In his speech, the Mayor Mr. Giannis Karousos mentioned that the Festival is interwoven with the development of Ayia Napa, which was created 33 years ago by a group of volunteers, with the aim of supporting tourism with tradition and culture.
He expressed his confidence that its inspirers today will be proud of its success, its uniqueness, the quality but also of the experience it offers to its thousands of visitors.
This year's Festival, he added, has been upgraded offering quality both in the artistic part and in the exhibition. Mr. Karousos congratulated the cultural services and the staff of the Municipality, making special reference to the Cultural Officer Mrs. Maria Tofini for the excellent organization as well as for the fact that this year the Municipality achieved the significant upgrade of the Festival, saving at the same time 25% of the approved budget line.
The Minister of Interior in his own greeting noted that Ayia Napa today is the best tourist resort in Cyprus, which plays a key role both in the cultural events of our country and in the local economy.
Immediately after the speeches, the twinning ceremony with the Russian city of Gelendzhik took place, followed by the artistic part, which included a concert with the tenors of the 21st century in Moscow and the concert of the Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki.
SotiraNews