In his latest book, long-time former Cyprus Mail political columnist Christos Panayiotides gives readers “a face-to-face look at the harsh reality” and the opportunity “to seriously contemplate where we want to go”, Greece’s Shipping Minister Christos Stylianides said on Wednesday.

Speaking in Athens at the presentation of the book titled The Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922 and the Cypriot Catastrophe of 1974 – A comparative narrative, Stylianides said “our aim is to salvage the future of Cypriot Hellenism and to avert yet another holistic, national catastrophe.”

“The work of Christos Panayiotides, to comparatively approach two dramatic and traumatic events of Hellenism’s modern history constitutes a valuable contribution to the calm understanding of the events and to maintaining historical memory,” he said.

Stylianides said Panayiotides uncovers the weaknesses, mishandling and misreading of geopolitical developments, which led to “huge mistakes resulting in the two big national disasters”.

“This painful admission is a prerequisite for drawing the necessary critical lessons, in the hope that we will prevent another national disaster. Especially in Cyprus,” he added.

In relation to the Cyprus problem, Stylianides said the upcoming Geneva meeting on the Cyprus problem on March 17 and 18, bringing together both Cyprus’ sides as well as representatives of the island’s three guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, UK) and the UN, should not be allowed to pass without a substantive outcome.

“Cyprus will, sooner or later, find itself facing tough dilemmas, which demand realistic answers, taking into consideration the fluid and tricky geopolitical environment,” he said.

Panayiotides’ book, Stylianides added, is an opportunity to see this harsh reality “today, not tomorrow”.