The annual memorial service for Alekos Michailidis, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs Konstantinos Kombos.
In his commemorative address, Mr. Kombos spoke about Alekos Michaelides’ multifaceted career and his contributions to the Republic of Cyprus, both through the political offices he held and in the fields of entrepreneurship and tourism development.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The Minister of Foreign Affairs described Alekos Michaelides as a hardworking, demanding, and visionary man, possessing vision, perseverance, and a deep faith in the power of knowledge. As he noted, a phrase he often used to say to his children was particularly telling: “You may lose everything, but no one can take knowledge away from you.”
Alekos Michaelides was born in 1933 in Milikouri and pursued a multifaceted career, initially as an educator and later in the fields of economics, entrepreneurship, and tourism. After the Turkish invasion of 1974, which upended his professional and business career in Famagusta, he chose to start over, turning loss into creation.
In 1976, he was elected to the House of Representatives and, a year later, assumed the presidency of the House of Representatives during a particularly critical period for the Republic of Cyprus. He later served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, contributing to efforts regarding the Cyprus issue and to advancing Cyprus’s European integration.
In his speech, Mr. Kompos also referred to Alekos Michaelides’ vision for a free and European Cyprus, as well as his view of the country’s role as a bridge between the European Union and the broader region of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
“The institutional memory at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remembers Alekos Michaelides as a man who did not accept ‘it can’t be done,’ but insisted on finding out ‘how it can be done,’” the Minister of Foreign Affairs remarked, noting that his legacy serves as a lesson for everyone.
The event provided an opportunity to honor the memory of a distinguished figure in Cypriot political and business life, who made significant contributions to the country’s public life.
In Milikouri, the family history of Alekos Michaelides is kept alive through the traditional tsangariko workshop of his father, Poly Polydorou. The workshop was restored with the aim of preserving the community’s cultural heritage and now serves as an interactive space, showcasing the daily life and folk art of a bygone era.
The inauguration of the restored tsangariko was presided over last year by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, during his visit to Milikouri.
