The Limassol International Book Fair is a substantial contribution to our cultural diplomacy, said Deputy Minister of Culture, Vasiliki Kassianidou, on Saturday, in her address at the opening of the 4th International Book Fair, at Lanitis Carob Mills, in Limassol.
Declaring the official opening of the Fair, on behalf of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, the Deputy Minister of Culture noted that “the government, through the Deputy Ministry, provides substantial support to writers and intellectuals through targeted sponsorship programmes, for literary translation, for the participation of writers in festivals and conferences abroad, for the representation of organized groups in major international book fairs, as well as the organization of literary events, conferences and festivals in Cyprus.”
She also said that with a view to promote reading habits and Cypriot books the Deputy Ministry of Culture is actively supporting the entire organization for another year through the sponsorship programmes of the Department of Contemporary Culture.
Referring to the approval by the Council of Ministers of the ‘Cyprus Library Strategic Development Plan’ the Deputy Minister of Culture spoke of ‘a strategic reform that signals the state’s firm political commitment to the modernization and upgrading of the country’s cultural institutions.’
‘This decision’, she pointed out, ‘is a milestone, as the plan functions as a basic reference document for ensuring all the necessary conditions, so that specific actions and functions can be launched with immediate, visible and measurable results. Through this, the library policy is placed on a new modern basis, fully harmonized with European standards,’ she noted.