Nicosia: President Christodoulides pledged to continue the government's support to the Maronites of Cyprus, during a meeting at the Presidential Palace with members of the community, on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting took place on the occasion of the completion of ten consecutive years of Yiannakis Mousas as the representative of the religious group in the House of Representatives.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Mousas thanked the President for his support and noted that many policies and projects were implemented in a short time. He highlighted the importance of these projects for the preservation of the community, stressing the particular difficulties that the Maronite villages have to deal with, as all four of them are under Turkish occupation.
"We are proud of the Maronite community," the President said. He mentioned some of the policies and projects that have been implemented over the past few years, such as the reopening of the kindergarten, the boosting of relocation schemes, and the compensation for damage from floods in Kormakitis village. He reaffirmed his commitment to continue this practice. Mousas particularly stressed the need for the implementation of the sporting center, as a necessary project for the youth.
At the end of the meeting, the members of the Maronite community, among which were two Maronites from Lebanon, gifted a gold cedar to the President to show their appreciation. Mousas noted that cedar is a symbol of the community's Lebanese descent and thanked the President for his support of Lebanon's government.
President Christodoulides noted that Lebanon is the country in the region that he has visited the most times, adding that "the country is now blessed to have a man with a vision who the Republic of Cyprus supports and does everything possible within the EU to offer support for the country."