A decisive signal for the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from occupied Cyprus and an immediate end to the illegal occupation of almost half of the island was sent Archbishop of America Elpidophorosduring the official annual dinner of the Federation of American Cypriot Organizations, last night, Friday, September 23, in Queens, New York.

In the presence of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, who was particularly touched by what he said was the last time addressing the Greek Cypriot diaspora as President, for whose contribution he is deeply grateful, the Archbishop of America emphasized that “we all wish triumph of justice and peace in Cyprus.

“We will never stop our struggle until we reach our just goal, which is nothing less than the liberation of our Cyprus and the existence of a united and prosperous Cyprus,” he stressed.

The person of honor at the dinner was Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Irvine, California, Dr. B. Kyriakos Athanasiou, who was described by the Archbishop of America as “a brilliant reminder to the world of the talent, ingenuity and intelligence of the Greeks of Cyprus.” As he pointed out, “The beloved Cypriot community in the United States is a strong part of the main body of Hellenism in the diaspora, a brilliant part of our diaspora. In fact, just as Professor Athanasiou dedicated his entire life to alleviating the suffering of our neighbors, so we must all dedicate, as we dedicate, our lives, so that our Cyprus will be freed once and for all from the suffering over which all our hearts beat.”

Finally, Archbishop Elpidophoros expressed his gratitude for the profound honor of inviting him as the honorary co-chair of the event, together with Mr. Anastasiadis. “This is the highest honor for me,” he said.

^{Source: RES-IPE}