Visit of the President of the Republic to the community of Inia after 30 years – Three projects were inaugurated
The works in Akamas for the completion of the road works that have been temporarily suspended, said on Saturday the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, noting that the matter is on the agenda of the Council of Ministers in February.
In his statements to journalists, in the context of the inauguration of projects in the community of Inia, President Christodoulidis announced that he will visit the area again before June together with the competent Ministers of the Interior and Agriculture, as well as the Deputy Minister of Tourism, to evaluate the implementation of the projects .
President Christodoulidis visited the community on Saturday morning and inaugurated the "Venus" thematic route project, followed by the reconstruction project of the core of the community and the Inia-Laras Turtle Exhibition and Education Center. He was accompanied by the Government Representative Konstantinos Letympiotis and the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panagiotou.
He thanked the President of the Inia Community Council Iagos Tsivikos for the invitation to the area and appreciated that an "important job" is being done despite the problems that, as he said, they have to face and the challenges "that we do not see in other areas of Cyprus", during his expression.
"I am here today to support their own effort, and as a Government we will continue to be supporters of the need to upgrade the region even more," he said.
"Inaugurating three projects today and also in the neighboring communities a short time ago, the residents of the areas understand more than anyone else exactly why they live here, the importance of Akamas, its environmental wealth" he said and referred to the projects that were inaugurated to " upgrade the area even more".
In response to a question about reports by the head of the community Inias that the President of the Republic has to visit the community for 30 years, President Christodoulidis said that his visit is not only a "moral obligation", while he mentioned that similar visits are also made to other communities, showing the " priority that we give as a State to the need to upgrade the countryside even more".
The "Venus Thematic Route" project in Inia was funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Mechanism – NextGenerationEU and was implemented under the national Recovery and Resilience Plan, while the other two projects were funded by national resources. In his greeting during the inauguration of the three projects, the President said that "Akamas is a very important environmental and cultural capital for our country, but also an important part of the European natural and cultural heritage".
I have listened carefully to your list of demands, he said, saying that he knew some of them, and that some would be put in place later. He also referred to the opinion he expressed in the past, that he considers "wrong the decision taken to separate the communities of Akama" which, as he said, "should have been together".
"Now we are working to implement the reform of the Local Government and along the way we will evaluate any challenges and any problems" he added.
Referring to local residents, he said they are concerned and interested in safeguarding the environment "more than anyone else".
In relation to the goal of revitalizing and upgrading the countryside, he said that it is a pillar of development with many aspects and ramifications "whose importance goes beyond the boundaries of the communities in the region and acquires a national scope", as he said.
He also said that he recognizes the work done by the previous Government "so that today we can be here and do the inauguration".
"A practical example of the Government's approach to the issue, among many others, are the measures it introduced and are being implemented with remarkable results to provide incentives to young couples to acquire housing in rural communities," he said.
He referred to the enrichment and upgrading of the tourist product of the region while he said that 40 days ago projects were inaugurated in two other communities, in addition to the three projects that are inaugurated on Saturday in Inia.
"We should connect all these projects in the region" he said and announced that "we will proceed within the next months to draw up a specific plan giving incentives so that all these centers attract even more visitors".
He also announced that in the near future, before the summer season begins, they will proceed with the development of a specific plan, so as to attract more people to the area to visit all the Museums.
"Recognizing the efforts of the Local Authorities and other agencies for the development of our countryside, we support all the actions of the Communities of the Akamas region that enrich, strengthen and highlight the environmental and cultural wealth of the region and by extension help the Communities themselves he said besides.
For the period 2024-2028, he stated that the Government's compensatory measures include a provision for the State to cover the operating expenses for the community infrastructures of all the Communities of Akamas.
These infrastructures include Exhibition and Educational Centers, Environmental Observatories and Information Centers for the natural wealth of the region, as well as museums that highlight our folk art and culture, he added, among them the Educational and Exhibition Center of Chelonas.
He also said that the Government is promoting the implementation of multiple actions for the period 2024-2028, which "will give a significant boost to the economic development of Akama", both through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Plan of the Akama National Forest Park and through specialized support measures for the Communities of Akamas.
These measures, among others, concern the subsidization of agricultural land owners based on the area of their parcels, the establishment of the Akamas Local Coordination Office, the planning and implementation of the main road network in residential areas and the financing of a number of public utility projects. "Toward this end, we have decided on a package of 11 measures to support the Communities of Akamas, the implementation of which has begun," he said.
He then referred to projects that have recently been completed or are being completed, such as the Geology and Paleontology Center Akamas in Pano Arodes, the Regional Museum of Rural Life Akamas in Druseia and the Educational Center for Household Handicrafts.
He pointed out that a month ago, the Council of Ministers took a "difficult, but imposed by the public interest decision" for the region, for changes concerning the implementation of the Akama National Forest Park Sustainable Development Plan projects.
"In the light of either actions or omissions in relation to its implementation, the Government has decided to re-evaluate the projects and operations of the Akamas National Forest Park within a specific framework and timetable for the start and end of the projects which will not allow further unnecessary delays" he reported.
President Christodoulidis reiterated the "will and determination of the Government" and of him personally "so that the Sustainable Development Plan is implemented in a way that does not alter the philosophy and principles that govern it".
He also expressed his determination "to remove the errors, omissions and exaggerations that would alter the essence of the Plan and negate its aims and objectives".
At the same time, addressing the Authorities and residents of the Communities of Akamas, I assure them that the Government knows very well "the limits between the protection of the natural heritage and the need for development and utilization of the area" to add that "within this context we're moving."
He assured the residents of Inia that "it won't be 30 years before his next visit" while he then toured the narrow streets of the community and took a tour of the projects.
The head of the community of Inias, Yiagos Tsivikos, spoke of a "historic" day for Inias with the visit of President Christodoulidis, while he described the three projects as "very important" for the community, saying that the total cost amounted to 5.5 million euros.
For her part, the Prefect of Paphos Mary Lambrou made an extensive reference to the three projects, noting that in any communities where projects were carried out, expatriates restore and maintain their homes, while also creating new businesses, such as restaurants and tourist accommodation.