Cyprus pays tribute to King Hussein

PRESIDENT Clerides was one of more than 40 world leaders who attended yesterday’s funeral in Amman of King Hussein of Jordan.

Cyprus joined the rest of the world yesterday in paying its last respects, and sent a message to the Jordanian people expressing “deep sorrow” over the King’s death.

“King Hussein contributed very much to the peace process in the Middle East and his death is a very real and great loss to Jordan and the whole region, ” said the government in an official tribute yesterday.

In the tribute, Hussein was described as a “personal friend” of President Clerides who had a “great vision for peace”.

“Quite rightly he is called one of the greatest men in contemporary world history,” said the government’s tribute.

On leaving Larnaca airport yesterday morning, Clerides described Hussein as a leader of international standing who contributed greatly to the Middle East peace process.

“He was an exceptional figure, who spoke his mind and dealt with matters in such a way that Jordan, despite its many enemies, managed to survive as an independent state,” Clerides said. He was accompanied to the funeral by Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides.

The government also congratulated the new King Abdullah on the assumption of his duties.

A book of condolences will be opened at the Jordanian consulate in Nicosia this morning.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.