Ancient Site, Modern Tradition, Present-Day Parade
Szöveg: Maj. Zsolt Süle | 2014. augusztus 8. 9:00On July 15, among the ruins of Salamis, the capital of Cyprus in Roman times, 102 Slovak, Hungarian, Serb, Croatian and Ukrainian soldiers received the peacekeeping medal of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) which is due after at least 90 days of service with the peacekeeping mission.
The stones of the ancient amphitheatre of Salamis – located just five kilometers from Famagusta, the headquarters of Sector 4 – were glittering in the sunshine and glowing in the heat of +40 degrees Celsius, although it was already late afternoon.
UNFICYP Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Chao Liu and Lt.-Col. Miroslav Misovic, Commander, Sector 4 were the first to welcome the decorated soldiers and the invited guests.
During the ceremony, the “silver numbers" signifying the number of six-month rotations in the service of peace were also handed over, in addition to the peacekeeping medals. Capt. Róbert Bolesza, a soldier of the Hungarian contingent, received Silver Number 9 for his outstanding service of many years. The military leaders of UNFICYP and the foreign representatives of the nations presented the peacekeepers with the medals.
Following the military parade of the ceremony, the participants proceeded to the base of the headquarters, where the ceremony closed with a reception. The chefs of the nations serving in the sector prepared their own traditional dishes to dazzle the invited guests and participants. Cpl. Zsolt Menyhárt and Cpl. Attila Benkovics introduced the Hungarian cuisine through bean goulash and sponge cake.
Photos by the author
