Agreement has been reached on the restoration of Apostolos Andreas Monastery in the occupied Karpass.
According to a press release issued by UNFICYP, the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, in a meeting in the presence of the UN facilitator Jennifer Wright, agreed to proceed with immediate action for the emergency support as a first stage and subsequently the restoration of the monument according to the study prepared by the University of Patras.
The Committee “is taking the responsibility of facilitating and overseeing the restoration of the monastery having the support of all interested parties in accordance with internationally recognized modalities and regulations”, it said.
“Protection of cultural heritage is an integral part of the ongoing process of broadening areas of cooperation between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots, which can only be achieved through joint efforts” the Committee noted. Therefore, it called on those who share this common vision to assist in this effort.
The Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage, which was established in April 2008, has been given the mandate for the protection of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the island. .
Archbishop Chrysostomos II had warned that he will be reporting the obstruction by the Turkish occupation regime of the maintenance of the Monastery, and has called on the regime for the last time to allow restoration work, otherwise the Archbishopric would go ahead anyway at the risk of arrest.