REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION, HILTON HOTEL, NICOSIA, TUESDAY, 10 OCTOBER, 2006
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION, HILTON HOTEL, NICOSIA, TUESDAY, 10 OCTOBER, 2006
AGAPITE PROEDRE PAPADOPOULE, AGAPITI IPOURGI, PRESVEFTES, EKLEKTI PROSKEKLIMENI, KYRIES KE KYRII.
O MARTIN KE GO IMASTE POLI EFTIHIS PU IMASTE SIMERA EDO.
President Papadopoulos, Ministers, Ambassadors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
Tá áthas orm agus ar mo fear céile, Máirtín, bheith libh anseo inniu.
It is an honour and a pleasure for Martin and me to have the opportunity to be here with you today. Having seen the beauty of Cyprus, the warmth of the people, and of course the weather in October, I can see the reason why so many Irish people have chosen to call Cyprus home and why so many tens of thousands of us come here to holiday each year.
Our two countries have many similarities. Both are small island nations, rich in history, at the geographic edges of Europe; however we don't let our geographically peripheral positions consign us to the margins of European or international discourse. We both have had troubled histories experiencing the seemingly intractable problems of division. We both chose to become part of the greatest adventure in democratic partnership ever undertaken in world history – the European Union – for in it we see the chance for our distinctive identities to blossom and achieve their potential within a wide European family of co-equal nations. As divided islands we each possess a demonstrable and sustained willingness to overcome the challenges this poses through peaceful means. Our shared membership of the European Union has been of great significance in this pursuit.
Of course, one of the deepest and most important connections between our two islands is through the, now forty-year, service of the Defence Forces and the Garda Síochána with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. The fact that so many Irish men and women served in Cyprus over the years has created a lasting connection between our two countries and peoples. This was demonstrated last March when the Foreign Minister of Cyprus, Mr George Iacovou, travelled to Dublin to present Lieutenant General Gerry O'Sullivan with the Grand Commander of Order of Merit of the Republic of Cyprus for his humanitarian work following the 1974 invasion by Turkish forces. This award was not only a well-deserved personal honour for Gerry O'Sullivan. In many ways it was a tribute to all the Irish soldiers and policemen who have served in Cyprus. We are immensely proud of their work around the world in the cause of peace. I had the pleasure of meeting the Garda contingent on Sunday and I am pleased to see them here today. Since I arrived in Cyprus I have heard many tributes to the manner in which they carry out their demanding role.
Ireland today is transforming itself into a multicultural society, fuelled by a high incidence of immigration from the newer members of the European family. In previous generations we experienced high levels of emigration to distant shores. Destinations such as the UK, the US and Australia are often highlighted due to the concentration and size of the Irish communities there; but the Irish spread their wings ever more widely. The Irish community in Cyprus is a prime example of our hidden global family.
I know that in times of need the Irish community in Cyprus has rallied to offer support and assistance to Irish people in need. Back in 2004 the Cyprus Irish Society coordinated a huge volunteer programme to assist the Irish Paralympic Team as they prepared for the Athens games in Cyprus. More recently, during the evacuation of Lebanon, I know from speaking to Embassy officials, that there were many unsolicited offers of assistance and accommodation from the Irish community throughout the island. As always and everywhere in the world they are our primary ambassadors showcasing Ireland’s values and culture as good neighbours, friends and colleagues wherever they make their lives.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to you, President Papadopoulos, for the warmth of the welcome and the hospitality we have received during our visit. Over the past few days I have had discussions on various issues with you. I have been impressed with your personal commitment to resolving the problem of division on this beautiful island. Coming from an island with its own history of division, I fully appreciate the nature of the task in which you are engaged, and, indeed, the difficulties that will be encountered along the way. While none of us can change or rewrite past history, we do at least have the chance to write tomorrow’s history out of the wisdom gleaned from experience and our determination that the future will and must be better. Mr. President, I hope that, the current process in which you are engaged will succeed in achieving the reconciliation, which is essential for a just, fair and honourable solution.
We have been enthralled yet again by wonderful cultural treasures of Cyprus, both in Nicosia and at Kykkos Monastery. Your island is rich in such heritage and I hope that you in turn enjoyed the taste of Irish culture and our Irish traditional music. Our two islands enjoy the gift of easy friendship with one another. Now as partners in Europe we build on that friendship and transform it into a working partnership, twinning the lives and futures of your children and ours. We leave Cyprus sure about that future and about the strength of the bonds between Ireland and Cyprus. Yassas, efpharesto.
Go raibh míle maith agat.