Today, October 1, is officially celebrated as the day of the proclamation of Cyprus’s Independence.

Cyprus was declared an independent, sovereign state on August 16, 1960, according to the Zurich and London agreements of 1959 and following the liberation struggle of EOKA (1955-1959) against British colonial rule. However, on July 11, 1963, the Council of Ministers, which then consisted of seven Greek Cypriots and three Turkish Cypriots, decided to establish October 1 as the official Independence Day of Cyprus so that it could be celebrated with all due honours in the presence of the diplomatic corps.

The official celebrations began with a memorial service at 8:30 AM, where President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides laid a wreath at the Memorial of the Imprisoned. Among the attendees is the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, and the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who is in Cyprus for the anniversary of the country’s independence.

At 9:00 AM, at the Presidential Palace, the President laid a wreath at the statue of Archbishop Makarios III, participate in the memorial service, and lay a wreath at the Resistance Monument in the park of the Presidential Palace.

At 11:00 AM, the President will receive the salute from the military parade on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Cyprus along Iosif Hadiosif Avenue in Strovolos, Nicosia. At 12:30 PM, he will host a reception with the First Lady for members of the Consular and Diplomatic Corps.

The grand military parade will include the motorised and Infantry Units of the National Guard, the Police, the Fire Service, the Department of Forestry, Civil Defence, and the Ambulance Service.

Source: Parikiaki.com