Saturday marked 65 years since the proclamation of Cyprus as an independent Republic after 82 years under British rule, based on the Zurich-London agreements signed on on August 16, 1960.

“Our state, the Republic of Cyprus, is our most important achievement. Preserving and upgrading its status, as well as strengthening all its power sectors, both domestically and internationally, are of the highest priority,” President Nikos Christodoulides said in a statement to mark the anniversary.

Christodoulides emphasised that August 16 marked one of the most significant historical milestones of the island, adding that it was a direct result of a long struggle by the people which eventually culminated in “the anti-colonial struggle by Eoka against British colonial rule”.

The government, he said, aimed to continuously modernise the Republic so that it could both serve the needs of its citizens and to strengthen Cyprus’ international status. The president stressed that these efforts were crucial to “achieve the long-awaited goal of ending the Turkish occupation, liberating and reunifying our homeland”.

The London and Zurich agreements served as the basis for the first constitution of the independent Republic of Cyprus which brought an end to British colonial rule in Cyprus in 1959 and officially came into effect on August 16, 1960.

Cyprus officially gained independence in a ceremony at the House of Representatives in the presence of the first president of the Republic of Cyprus, Archbishop Makarios III, and its first vice-president, Fazil Kucuk.

During the ceremony, the declaration by which Cyprus was proclaimed an independent republic was read by the last British governor, Sir Hugh Foot.

A month later, in September 1960, the Republic of Cyprus became a member of the United Nations.

After the end of the first session of the House, the flag of the Republic of Cyprus was raised with the British flag having been lowered from the presidential palace and official buildings the day before.

For practical reasons, the celebrations of the Cypriot independence day were later moved to October 1, which was designated as a holiday by the Council of Ministers in 1963.