ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades on Wednesday morning visited the site where works are underway to build a park in the memory of the victims of the deadly 2018 fire that tore through the coastal town of Mati, Attica. The Cyprus Republic has donated 10 million euros for the construction of the park and of a modern social housing complex. Both leaders were briefed on the progress of the works and symbolically planted a tree.

“In this place, which has been engraved in the collective subconscious of our country as a place associated with a huge injury, this park which is being constructed today comes to partly heal the wounds,” noted Mitsotakis.

“I want to thank President Anastasiades who, from the first moment, placed at our disposal a significant amount of money, part of which is being used for the construction of the park. The rest of the money will be used to construct a modern social housing complex in order to house our compatriots who lost their homes in the disastrous fire, in ultra modern houses,” Mitsotakis underlined.

On his part, Anastasiades noted: “I feel very moved because I have today been given the opportunity to get an overall understanding of how symbolic but also important the contribution of the Cyprus Republic is, as a least token of solidarity with Greek Hellenism, which stood by us in crucial hours”.

Unfortunately, he added, his visit coincided with another tragic accident, the loss of two heroic pilots, and for this and again as a gesture of solidarity with the Greek government and the Greek people, Cyprus has decided to contribute 2.5 million euros to the Greek Airforce, he announced.

It is noted that the memorial park in Mati is a tribute to the victims of the fatal wildfire in 2018. It will act as a gathering place and a site for sports and recreation for the community of the wider area, given that after its completion will be the largest forested recreational area in east Attica.