Nikos Christodoulides: Kostas Simitis will have a special place in memory of Cypriot Hellenism

“He was a prominent, leading figure both as a militant against dictatorship in Greece and during the transition,” says the Cypriot president. “Kostas Simitis as Prime Minister of Greece together, and in full and good cooperation, with the late President of the Republic of Cyprus Glaukos Clerides, led Cyprus to its greatest achievement since 1960, in the decision to join the EU in December 2002 in Copenhagen,” says President Nikos Christodoulides in a written statement. He notes that the deceased will have a special place in memory of Cypriot Hellenism. CORVERSE “With feelings of sadness I was informed of the death of former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis. Kostas Simitis was a prominent, leading figure both as a militant against dictatorship in Greece and during the transition,” the President says. He notes that as Prime Minister of Greece during the first half of 2003, he signed in April 2003 the accession of the ten new members to the Union including Cyprus, along with late President Tassos Papadopoulos. “His mild political discourse, away from populism and his political action were based on a constant philosophy of modernisation and reform. At the same time, Kostas Simitis also excelled as a university professor in Greece and Germany,” he says. CORVERSE President Christodoulides notes that for all this he will rightly have a special place in the History of modern Greece and Hellenism, as well as in memory of Cypriot Hellenism. “On behalf of the Government, I personally and the Cypriot people express my sincere condolences to the Greek people and the people of the deceased,” he says.