US embassy remembers ambassador and colleague killed in 1974

US ambassador Rodger Davies was remembered on Monday during a memorial ceremony to mark 50 years since he was killed in Nicosia, during the events of 1974, along with embassy employee and colleague, Antoinette Varnava.

Ambassador to Cyprus Julie Davis Fisher presided over the ceremonial wreath-laying and lowering of the US flag to half-mast at the embassy, reiterating US commitment to a just and lasting peace on the island.

“The tragic losses of ambassador Davies and Antoinette Varnava have affected the employees at the US embassy for 50 years, just as the tragic loss and unknown fates of so many others have long affected this island,” Fisher said at the ceremony.

She added that this was “a moment to remember them as individuals, who, like the current employees at the embassy, were dedicated to bringing Americans and Cypriots together to propel both our nations forward.”

“The United States remains committed to a just and lasting peace on the island and the American embassy remains committed to promoting engagement between Cyprus’ communities,” she said.

In her remarks, Fisher also reiterated the US embassy’s support for the critical work of the bicommunal Committee on Missing Persons to recover and identify those still missing, including American citizens, and return their remains to their families.

Fisher will also pay her respects at the gravesite of Antoinette Varnava in the village of Kormakitis, the press release says.

The event was preceded by two earlier ceremonies in the United States.

The ambassador and Varnava were shot dead during a protest at the US embassy on August 19, 1974 in the aftermath of the second part of the Turkish invasion. No one was ever charged with their murders.