Press Release
October 26, 2023
The opening event of METAdrasi Cyprus was held on previous Tuesday, October 24 in Nicosia at CVAR – Costas and Rita Severis Foundation. Notable guests from organizations, local entities, and official bodies were present, including Andreas Georgiades, the Counselor of the Minister of Interior of Cyprus for Migration and Asylum, as well as delegates from the Embassy of France in Cyprus and the Consulate of Greece in Nicosia.
The event commenced with an opening address by the Mayor of Nicosia, Constantinos Yiorkatzis, who expressed his satisfaction with the prospect of Cyprus being added to the map of locations where METAdrasi operates. He emphasized on the significance of the Nicosia Municipal Multipurpose Centre and affirmed his eagerness to collaborate with the organization and his commitment to support its mission.
Joining the event remotely from Athens, Heracles Moskoff, the Secretary-General for Vulnerable Citizens and Institutional Protection at the Ministry of Migration and Asylum, delivered a warm welcome. He highlighted the close partnership between the Ministry and METAdrasi, commending the Organization’s innovative initiatives in safeguarding unaccompanied children, which encompass the operation of accommodation facilities, semi-autonomous living arrangements, and accompaniment support.
Natasa Andreou, the Head of the Cyprus Asylum Service, stated her contentment with the launch of METAdrasi Cyprus in her welcome speech. She stressed the importance of delivering high-quality interpretation services, looking forward to establishing a framework for close cooperation.
Katja Saha, the UNHCR Cyprus Representative, expressed her great appreciation of METAdrasi’s work in Greece. She emphasized METAdrasi’s pivotal role, being one of the most important implementing partners of UNHCR, particularly in the field of interpretation. “METAdrasi’s expertise is expected to contribute to the improvement of the services provided to the refugee population” Ms. Saha concluded, acknowledging that the global count of refugees and displaced persons now exceeds one hundred million.
Lora Pappa, METAdrasi’s Founder and President, highlighted her acknowledgment for the warm welcome and the sincere willingness for collaboration conveyed by the relevant authorities and organizations in Cyprus. She extended her appreciation to Generation for Change CY and European University Cyprus for providing the venue for the organization’s first interpreter training seminar in Cyprus. Following written and oral exams, METAdrasi Cyprus will be equipped with a skilled team of interpreters ready to provide quality services. Ms. Pappa stated that “our desire to create METAdrasi Cyprus existed since 2019, drawing upon our experience and expertise in specific sectors. We consider it our duty to extend our services to a country like Cyprus, which, similar to Greece, stands at the European Union’s borders and requires consistent support to tackle the challenges that are regrettably expected to rise in the future.’
