Renowned Greek Cypriot singer Anna Vissi declared Larnaca 2030 ambassador by the city’s mayor on Sunday.

The ceremony was held at Europe Square during the 6th Radisson Blue International Larnaca Marathon. It was attended by House President Annita Demetriou, Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras and the President of the Organisation for the European Capital of Culture – Larnaka 2030 Dinos Lefkaritis.

The singer, born in Larnaca, expressed her pride in the city’s growth and development. She thanked the mayor for the opportunity to become the ambassador for the cultural initiative, believing in the city’s potential to achieve this honour.

Vissi urged everyone, from politicians to the residents, to protect and preserve the city’s culture.

“I believe we can and want to achieve this for many reasons, including Larnaca’s historical monuments that must shine,” Vissi declared, expressing her honour, joy, and enthusiasm for being named the Ambassador of Larnaca 2030.

Mayor Andreas Vyras stressed that sports are a form of culture, emphasizing the unity of Larnaca in this symbolic event. “Larnaca is united in this effort. People from Larnaca, whether in sports or culture, have joined forces for this endeavor,” Mayor Vyras stated, assuring everyone that Larnaca would not only develop but also preserve its culture and humanity.

For his part, Lefkaritis praised Anna Vissi for promoting Larnaca. He expressed gratitude on behalf of the organisation for accepting the role of Ambassador and expressed confidence in achieving their goal.

“In 2030, Larnaca will be the Cultural Capital of Europe,” he declared.

According to the official website of the municipality of Larnaca, the Organisation for the European Capital of Culture- Larnaka 2030 aims to develop and establish the programming strategy of the Larnaka 2030 bid. This effort will be completed while taking into account the European Commission’s criteria emphasising European co-operation, interdisciplinarity, citizen’s involvement and inclusion as well as the sustainability of the candidature and its projects with attention to the effectiveness of its delivery schemes.