Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-12-12

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Leadership on Papadopoulos' death

[01] Leadership on Papadopoulos' death

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias expressed his deepest sorrow at learning of the former Cyprus president's death:

"He served the Cyprus Republic faithfully, which honoured him by giving him its highest office of president. He fought with passion and steadfastness for the future of Cypriot Hellenism and for his beliefs, always in the framework of democratic legality that he defended in difficult times. Under his presidency, Cyprus found the place it deserved as a member-state of the European Union. Unfortunately, he did not have time to see the just, viable and functional solution of the Cyprus problem that we all fight for," Papoulias said in his message of condolence.

Speaking from Brussels, where he was attending the European Council, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said that Papadopoulos had been a "historic figure" of Cypriot Hellenism, which he had served with passion and dedication throughout his life.

"I had the opportunity to work closely with him in past years, during his presidential term. In a crucial time for Cypriot Hellenism and the course of its national issue. As president of the Cyprus Republic, he fought the difficult battle for his long-suffering country with consistency and patriotism," Karamanlis stressed, expressing his sincerest condolences to Cyprus and his family and adding that Greeks owed him a lot.

Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas said he "pays homage, on behalf of the Greek Parliament, to the late patriot," and said that all Greeks and all Cyprus had on Friday lost an unbending warrior, a fighter that had always passionately fought for the rights of his country.

"The legacies that he left behind will always be alive. His memory will be eternal," he added.

Main opposition PASOK President George Papandreou sent a telegram of condolences in which he stressed that Papadopoulos had served Cyprus throughout his life, fighting for the island republic's freedom and in order to build a modern democracy.

"He was the politician, man and friend with whom we carried out the difficult task of bringing the Cyprus Republic into the European Union," he added.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Aleka Papariga expressed her sorrow at the loss of an "experience and courageous politician that defended the interests of the Cypriot struggle from the position of President of the Cyprus Republic."

Deepest condolences over the death of a historic figure of the Cypriot state were expressed by the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) party and the head of the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party George Karatzaferis.

SYN said that Papadopopulos was "an important political personality throughout the entire historic course of the Cypriot state."

LAOS leader Karatzaferis said "we shall remember President Papadopoulos for his leadership and for the vision that he had for Cypriot Hellenism. He faced many difficult moments but this did not prevent him from trying always to turn his vision for a free and independent Cyprus into reality. We hope that his expectation and his dream will become a reality."

The ruling New Democracy party and the head of the ND Parliamentary group also expressed their sorrow at the late politician's death.

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