Greek Parliament Speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis is expected to travel to Cyprus on March 20, in what he described as “a gesture of high symbolism to prove that beyond our governments, our peoples represented through our Parliaments are also in full support and solidarity.”
Mr. Kaklamanis made this announcement during his address at the Tobacco Factory, which is hosting the emblematic exhibition “SECTOR 2: NICOSIA,” supported by the Leventis Foundation and the Municipality of Nicosia. The exhibition presents the history of the Green Line, which has divided Nicosia in two since December 30, 1963.
Nikitas Kaklamanis: Reaffirmed Greece’s unwavering support for the Cypriot people
Mr. Kaklamanis also reaffirmed Greece’s unwavering support for the Cypriot people, as expressed in his recent communication with the President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus, Ms. Annita Dimitriou, regarding recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East. He emphasized emphatically that “no dividing line can nullify the power of human dignity and the expectation of peace.”
“The Green Line transformed Europe’s only divided capital into a wounded and divided body that continues to experience the trauma of separation and seeks the possibility of reunification. The Greek Parliament welcomes this exhibition not only as a cultural action, but also as an act of historical consciousness and solidarity with the Cypriot people.”
What Nikitas Kaklamanis said during his address
During his address, Mr. Kaklamanis, invoking the striking description by Kostas Montis in “Moments of Invasion,” symbolically referred to Nicosia, which the poet likens to “a sad little child that you struggle to make smile despite misfortune.” As he noted, through photographs, archival documents, oral testimonies, and contemporary artistic interventions, the exhibition highlights the suffocating landscape of Nicosia’s streets, simultaneously capturing the gradual alienation and difficulties that marked the lives of its residents over the past six decades. “This is not simply a historical narrative but a testimony of the soul,” he said characteristically, and continued: “The Green Line is not just a geographical boundary; it is a cut in time. It represents closed doors and sealed windows, families that were separated, properties that were abandoned, memories left suspended, but also the resilience, persistence, and dignity of people who learned to live with trauma without abandoning hope.”
Within the framework of related cultural activities hosted by the Greek Parliament, Mr. Kaklamanis also mentioned the exhibition “Cyprus 1974 – Memory is the Only Homeland of People,” co-organized by the Cyprus House of Representatives and the Foundation of the Parliament for Parliamentarism and Democracy, as well as the upcoming presentation of the visual installation “Women’s Gaze of War: The War Through Her Eyes.”
Finally, he congratulated the exhibition curators for their scientific competence and sensitivity in creating a high-quality project, noting that “History bears human faces and that preserving memory does not oppose reconciliation but constitutes its prerequisite.”
Who delivered addresses
Addresses were also delivered by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Stavros Avgoustidis, the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, Dr. Vasiliki Kassianidou, the Mayor of Nicosia, Mr. Charalambos Prountzos, and the President of the A.G. Leventis Foundation, Mr. Anastasios P. Leventis.
The event was attended by a large crowd from the political and artistic spheres, representatives of Cypriot letters and arts, as well as citizens who wished to honor with their presence an exhibition dedicated to the memory and history of Nicosia.
