Τοπωνυμικό Λεξικό Θαλάσσιων Γεωγραφικών Ονομάτων της Κύπρου

9 ADDRESS By the President of the Permanent Committee for the Standardization of Geographical Names of Cyprus Mr. Andreas Chatziraftis With great pleasure, I welcome this new edition of the Permanent Committee for the Standardization of Geographical Names of Cyprus titled: «Gazetteer of Sea Geographical Names of Cyprus» . This work has been planned and worked out on the basis of the principles, the rules and the recommendations of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN). The «Gazetteer of Sea Geographical Names of Cyprus» is the result of the hard joined efforts of all members of the Committee and the Department of Lands and Surveys. This edition is addressed to all those, in Cyprus, Greece, and across the globe, who use the sea geographical names, and constitutes a helpful tool for correct writing and spelling. Moreover, this work constitutes a means for international cultural projection of the Republic of Cyprus, and therefore, contributes practically to its support internationally. Since its establishment, the Cyprus Permanent Committee for the Standardization of Geographical Names is working systematically and continuously for the protection and the promotion, not only of standardization in general, but also of the legal and official geographical names of Cyprus. Towards this target, Cyprus participates regularly in all the relevant meetings and conferences of the United Nations, in several UN committees, as well as in the Group of Experts UNGEGN. Our aim is towards the full implementation of the resolutions of the UN and also the preservation and establishment of the historical names of each country, which form an integral part of its respective cultural heritage. Towards this direction, we continue our publication work, a part of which is the current edition. We will continue with enthusiasm our work in the future, trying to meet the recommendations of the United Nations for the Standardization of Geographical Names, as well as to promote and strengthen the respect of historical names. We express our warmest gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus and to the Depart- ment of Lands and Surveys for their valuable and effective contribution.