Conservation works have been completed at the mosque in Koilani, Limassol district, and at the Church of Ayia Paraskevi in Palaiosofos, Kyrenia district, according to Sotos Ktoris, Co-Chair of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage.
In a post on social media, Ktoris said that work had been completed at the mosque in Koilani, one of the oldest mosques in Limassol district.
‘The conservation of the mosque in Koilani keeps alive the hope that our cultural heritage can bridge Cyprus’ past with its future, building bonds of trust among the people of this land,’ Ktoris said.
The project was funded by the European Union and implemented under the technical guidance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), he added.
In other posts, Ktoris announced the start of conservation works at the Church of Ayia Irene in the community of the same name in Kyrenia district, as well as the completion of conservation works at the Church of Ayia Paraskevi in Palaiosofos, also in Kyrenia district.
The projects were carried out with financial support from the European Union, under the guidance of the UNDP.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.