On 17th March 2008, His Beatitude Theodoros II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa met with Mr Dimitri Christofias, President of the Republic of Cyprus.
His Beatitude assured His Excellency the President of Cyprus that he will always be at his side for a just solution to the Cypriot problem.
Mr Christofias gave His Beatitudea silver ship, a copy of the ship of Kyreneia, and as he gave it to him he said: “It is a gift from the soul, because we pray that we will return to Kyreneia, a free Kyreneia, even if it is under Turkish-Cypriot administration”
His Beatitude in his turn gave His Excellency the Presiden a silver Church tray.
On leaving the Presidential Palace, His Beatitude said: The President has learnt to be a practical person, we did not speak theoretically, we spoke practically, for the continued existence of the Patriarchate and the materialization of the dreams of my predecessor Cypriot Patriarch Petros VII, and I believe that all his dreams are slowly being realized”.
