Women involved in the traditional art of Lefkara embroidery will submit proposals to President Nikos Christodoulides aimed at safeguarding and ensuring the continuation of the craft.

The president spoke with embroiderers on Sunday as he arrived at the Lefkara Conference Centre, where he presented the priorities of Cyprus’ upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union. The women were demonstrating the traditional Lefkara embroidery, which inspired the official logo of the Cypriot EU presidency.

The embroiderers told the president that despite the craft being formally standardised and protected, recognised by Unesco as part of Cyprus’ intangible cultural heritage, and supported through the Lefkara Handicraft Centre, the tradition remains at risk of disappearing.

They identified two main challenges: the difficulty of earning a sustainable income exclusively from embroidery, and the lack of interest among younger generations in learning and continuing the craft.

In the presence of Lefkara mayor Sophocles Sophocleous, President Christodoulides invited the women to submit written, concrete proposals outlining measures that could be implemented to improve the situation and support the preservation of the traditional art.