Cyprus is a beacon of security and stability in the wider Mediterranean region, Defence Minister, Charalambos Petrides, said on Monday addressing the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Board of Directors Meeting of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) for 2022, adding that “we aspire to contribute to the spread of these great values and military sports can be a great tool in this direction”.
In his address to the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Board of Directors Meeting of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) for 2022 which began today in Larnaca, the Minister said that “the presence of the delegates in Cyprus confirms their love and interest for the Military Sports”.
At the same time, he expressed the hope that “the delegates’ stay in Cyprus will be combined with constructive and fruitful discussions on the future of military sports. It is a great honor for us to organize this meeting”, he said and added that a few days later the CISM European Conference will also take place.
In this way, he continued, “we try to contribute to the spread of CISM ideals, based on the inherited sports values.”
The minister underlined that, “this land in its long history, has suffered a lot from wars that took place on its soil. The need for peace and friendship is therefore profound to us”. We consider, he continued, Cyprus to be a beacon of security and stability in the wider region, and we aspire to contribute to the spread of these great values, and military sports can be a great tool towards that.
He also said that sport has long ago proven its ability to bridge national, political, racial, and cultural differences between people.
The International Military Sports Council (CISM), he continued, with its status and international range, has managed to unify the Armed Forces of 140 member states from every continent. Our Military Sports Council, he said, works under the auspices of the Minister of Defence, trying to apply contemporary best practices and expertise in our armed forces, and instill in thousands of uniformed young people, the athletic spirit and love for sports, and promote friendship through sport.
It is noted that during the opening ceremony of the Conference, the Minister of Defense was awarded the Medal of the Highest Honor of a Senior Official for his contribution and assistance to military sports.
On his part, Colonel Dirk Schwede, Deputy President of the CISM said that “it is an honor for the CISM to be here in Cyprus”, while referring to the history of the Council he said that “we have 140 nations and it is a co-ordination of different cultures and states and to bring all these together in this location is really good because the history is the same as here”.
He added that “the CISM is proud to be in Cyprus to discuss our main topics for the progress of the CISM, which are among others, to bring people together to promote friendship, and to promote sports, which is the main topic of CISM, and I think this a great location for it”.
Source: Cyprus News Agency