Any form of service in the National Guard should be acknowledged as an honour for the conscripts and their families, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said on Saturday.
Speaking at a memorial for fallen soldiers and prayers to find the remains of lieutenant general Tasos Markou, the minister said it was due to their heroism that Cyprus managed to stay standing during times of crisis.
She said the National Guard, 60 years after its establishment, continues to grow and improve and, in a region of geostrategic importance, constitutes a strong pylon of the Republic’s defence and role as a pillar of peace, security and stability.
“We are proud of the leadership, officers, recruits and staff of the National Guard, as well as the reservists and retired officers” who contribute towards security and support the peaceful effort to reunify the island, she said.
The minister added that the government was set on further upgrading the National Guard and that serving in the army “demands patriotism, faith and respect to national ideals, morality, determination, self-sacrifice and altruism, as well as personal and collective sacrifices.”
The government, she added, was focused on resuming negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem and determining the fate of all missing persons.
“We hope that Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side will mirror our determination and constructive stance so that we can soon achieve substantive progress,” she said.
