KARPATHOS, Greece — President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou visited the island of Karpathos on Sunday at the invitation of the local mayor Yiannis Nisyrios, to attend the celebrations for the 76th anniversary of the Revolutionary Liberation Movement of Karpathos.

During her visit, the president laid a wreath at the monument of Captain Konstantinos Iliakis, paid a visit to the island's archaeological and historical museum and visited the town hall, where she was declared an honorary citizen of Karpathos.

She then visited the villages of Olympo and Mesochori, where she was greeted by locals in traditional dress and met with teachers and pupils.

Addressing the islanders, Sakellaropoulou said they had fiercely guarded their national and cultural identity in order to realise the vision of freedom and that the island was a unique example of preserving traditional culture without conservatism, stagnation or reaction against progress but with a dynamic spirit of renewal and creativity.

"On the one hand the ancient ruins, early Christian basilicas, the unique architecture of the traditional settlements and the buildings from the time of Italian rule compose the imprints of the island's long history. On the other hand, the music, songs, extemporaneous poetry, the dancing, handicrafts and customs with their rich rituals, which are vibrant, present and therefore able to take on new shapes and forms in modern daily life," she said, noting that Karpathos had preserved its past but looked forward to its future.