Nostos the Return initiative - FILE
CAIRO - 11 July 2021: The fourth edition of the fourth edition of the ‘Nostos -The Return’ - "Reviving Roots" presidential initiative was launched with the participation of youths from Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, according to the Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi launched "Reviving Roots" initiative during the tripartite summit that grouped Egypt, Cyprus and Greece in Nicosia in 2017.
The initiative comes as a part of the diaspora program signed between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece, which aims to gather Cypriots and Greeks or their descendants in Alexandria for a return trip to the place where they or their ancestors once lived.
In a statement on Sunday, Emigration Minister Nabila Makram stressed commitment to the coronavirus precautionary measures during the activities being held within this context.
She added that the initiative furthers ties among the three countries.
Activities of the first edition of the initiative were held in April 2018, while the second edition in November 2018 and the third edition in 2019.
Minister Nabila Makram had stated that the agenda of the youth version program - which will be the fourth of "Reviving the Roots" - was agreed upon in coordination by her counterparts, the Greek Costas Vlassis, and the Cypriot Fotis Fotiu, to incorporate fields of: tourism, history, arts and culture among others.
The events, which will be held in the presence of the Greek and Cypriot ambassadors in Egypt, include visits to many places such as the Library of Alexandria, and some other ancient Greek-style places in Alexandria, in addition to a meeting with Pope Theodoros II, Pope and the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa for the Romans. The trips will also include a visit to the Suez Canal and places of a Greek nature in Ismailia, as well as the pyramids, the Egyptian Parliament and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.
‘Nostos -The Return’
Signing this program is considered by many to be a historic moment for the three countries, since it was the first time that cooperation on diaspora was achieved and also the first time that the three countries decided on a common strategy and joint actions.
Nostos – the Return, meaning “roots revival,” is an initiative launched by Makram in October upon directives from President Sisi. The initiative targets the second and third generation Greeks and Cypriots who once lived in Egypt.
The first edition included visits to the places in which their families used to live, such as Zizinia and El Raml neighborhoods in the Mediterranean seaport city of Alexandria, followed by a visit to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, a tour of Giza Pyramids, and finally a visit to Saint Catherine’s Monastery in Sharm El Sheikh.
The initiative also aims at promoting Egyptian tourism through the launch of these events.
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