The body of former president George Vassiliou, who passed away on Tuesday night aged 94, lay in state at the Ayia Sofia cathedral in Nicosia on Friday ahead of his state funeral on Saturday.
The book of condolences for Vassiliou opened on Friday at the Presidential Palace and was signed by President Nikos Christodoulides and members of the cabinet.
“It is with deep sorrow that we bid farewell to former President of the Republic of Cyprus, George Vassiliou, and we honour his contribution to his homeland, Cyprus,” Christodoulides wrote.
He added that the contribution of George Vassiliou to “achieving the top strategic goal” of the country’s accession to the European Union was “decisive”.
“Until the end of his life, he was dedicated to the effort to resolve the Cyprus problem and the reunification of our homeland,” Christodoulides wrote.
House president Annita Demetriou, meanwhile, wrote that Vassiliou “was one of the most important figures in our modern political history”.
“As president of the Republic of Cyprus, he distinguished himself with his boldness and dynamism, his visionary and entrepreneurial spirit, and his tireless efforts to resolve our national problem,” she wrote.
She added that thanks to Vassiliou’s “outward-facing character and mobility”, he “also achieved the institutional and social modernisation of the state”.
“We also owe to George Vassiliou the establishment of our public university, investing in the scientific potential and the economic and cultural development of the country. Above all, his fundamental contribution to the integration of our country into the European Union is indelibly inscribed into our memory,” she wrote.
Vassiliou, she added, “leaves behind an irreplaceable void and a heavy political legacy”.
Former president Nicos Anastasiades, now Cyprus’ only surviving former president, described Vassiliou as “an emblematic figure in the modern political history of Cyprus, who worked with steadfast commitment for the further modernisation of the state”.
“He served the country with consistency and responsibility, contributing substantially both to efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem and to our homeland’s European path,” he wrote.
Attorney-general George Savvides wrote that “we will miss your clarity of thought, your wisdom, and your love for Cyprus”, while his assistant Savvas Angelides wrote that Vassiliou was “an important personality who served the homeland with ethics and dedication”.
Akel leader Stefanos Stefanou wrote that Vassiliou’s “work and contribution to our Cyprus and to the public sphere are universally recognised”, describing him as a visionary, a realist, and a reformer.
Diko leader Nicholas Papadopoulos wrote that Vassiliou “left behind a significant and strong imprint on the public and political life of our country”, while Edek leader Nikos Anastasiou wrote of his “gratitude for his contribution to the modernisation of politics and the state in general”.
“His enormous contribution to achieving the goal of our homeland’s integration into the EU is of great importance,” Anastasiou wrote.
Dipa leader Marios Garoyan described Vassiliou as “a true patriot, who with honesty, ethics, courage, and sincere love served our country and our people”.
“Through his vision for a European, modern, prosperous, and peaceful Cyprus, he fought his small and large battles with dignity, selflessness, and dedication. He fought selflessly for a free and reunited Cyprus, without considering any political cost,” he wrote.
Ecologists’ Movement leader Stavros Papadouris wrote that Vassiliou’s “journey was long and full of contribution”, and that he “leaves a more modern and European Cyprus”.
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