President Nicos Anastasiades on Monday evening will be bestowed with Athens Municipality’s Gold Medal of Honour in recognition of his efforts to reunite Cyprus and reach a peaceful solution to the prolonged problem.
Cyprus has been divided since a 1974 invasion by Turkey which still maintains troops in the breakaway north.
“Our decision was taken in recognition of his efforts to date for the peaceful reunification of our sister nation Cyprus, to the benefit of the people of Cyprus as a whole, enhancing the lasting and close Greek Cypriot ties,” Athens Municipality said in a statement.
“(Also) For his continuous defence of democratic and human values which unite us, his commitment to a Europe of solidarity, growth and social cohesion and his unshakeable commitment for the prevalence of peace and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean on the basis of international law principles,” it added.
President Anastasiades will hold a tête-à -tête meeting at the Town Hall with Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis at seven in the evening.
The ceremony during which he will receive the Gold Medal of Honour will take place at 19:45 at the amphitheatre of the municipality`s Technopolis.
Afterwards, the President and his wife Andri will be given a guided tour of the Goulandris Museum. The Athens Municipality will then host a dinner in their honour.
Earlier in the day, the President and his wife will attend a private lunch hosted by Greece`s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at his residence. President Anastasiades returns to Cyprus on Tuesday morning.
(CNA)
