Cyprus celebrates its 50th anniversary

Cyprus celebrated the 50th anniversary of the island’s independence on Friday with a military parade in the capital Nicosia.
President Demetris Christofias, flanked by Greek National Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Cyprus Defence Minister Costas Papacostas, took the salute, watched also by the island’s political, military and religious leadership as well as members of the diplomatic corps.
Participating in the parade were infantry, artillery and naval forces and members of the Greek military contingent stationed in Cyprus in accordance with the 1960 Treaty of Establishment of the Republic, the police, the fire brigade, the forestry and the civil defence services.
A 21 gun-salute was fired at dawn and will be fired again at sunset.
President Christofias and First Lady Elsi Christofia will host a reception for the public in the evening at the Presidential Palace and a grand celebration is scheduled to take place at Eleftheria Stadium – Tassos Papadopoulos in Nicosia to ba attended by Greek President Karolos Papoulias who arrives at midday.