Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, hosted a launch in Parliament this week to mark the formal opening of the exhibition, Shoreline of Cyprus, consisting of photographs by the journalist and broadcaster, Doros Partasides.
Those attending the event included His Excellency Dimitris Caramitsos-Tziras, the Greek Ambassador; Andreas Papaevripides, the President of the World Federation of Cypriots; Cllr Jason Charalambous, Chairman of Conservative Friends of Cyprus; Christos Karaolis, President of the World Federation of Cypriots; leading business figures Chris & Andre Chris and Len Lazari; MPs Matthew Offord, Sheryll Murray and Sir Roger Gale; and members of the Foreign Press Association and UK media
Speaking after conclusion of the launch, Theresa Villiers said “I am delighted to have been able to host this opening ceremony for the Shoreline of Cyprus Exhibition. These photos by my good friend Doros Partasides are stunning. They are some of the best he has ever produced and illustrate the great beauty of the Cyprus coast.”
“In Parliament, I have called on the Europe Minister, Sir Alan Duncan, to urge the Turkish navy to stop impeding vessels involved in hydrocarbon extraction in Cypriot territorial waters. These actions by Turkish warships are unjustified and are needlessly raising tension in the eastern Mediterranean. This is an issue which a number of my British Cypriot constituents are worried about which was why I highlighted it in Parliament and called for action from Ministers.”
The Shorline of Cyprus exhibition has run for a week in the House of Commons Upper Waiting Hall, with the launch event taking place on Tuesday evening.
Theresa Villiers provided a foreword for the brochure for the exhibition which is as follows:
“This exhibition showcases the photographs of my dear friend, Doros Partasides, and will take visitors on a journey around the coast of Cyprus, a nation which remains divided. My constituency and the borough of Barnet is home to one of the largest British Cypriot communities in the UK. For many years, I have been supporting efforts to find a negotiated solution to reunite the island. A distinguished photographer and cinematographer, I have known Doros for over 18 years and we have worked together on many projects to support a free and united Cyprus.
When he was a cameraman at the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation in 1974, Doros covered the invasion of Turkey. His work highlighted the personal stories of those who suffered as a result of the invasion. Doros has made TV documentaries such as: ‘Crossing the Green Line’ and published a number of books, including: ‘1974 Days of Disaster’ and, more recently, ‘Faces of Cyprus’.
Doros’ deep connection with his homeland shines through in this exhibition, with its stunning images of the beauty of Cyprus. During the 52 years since his wife, Vera, gave him his first SLR camera, Doros has used his photography to document and promote values, culture and political occasions important to the Cypriot Community in London. Underlying this latest of many exhibitions of his work which have taken place over the years, is Doros’s love for photography, and for Cyprus, and his strong commitment to the values of freedom of speech and human rights.
I wish Doros well with the Shoreline of Cyprus exhibition. I am sure it will be a great success and it is an honour for me to be able to sponsor it in Parliament. I very much hope that one day soon the beautiful locations featured in these photographs will be part of a united Cyprus once again, when the long-running division of the island finally comes to an end.”