Anastasiades and Tatar to attend UN reception in buffer zone

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar will attend a reception hosted by the UN at Ledra Palace in the Nicosia buffer zone tonight at 19.00 local time.

They both accepted the invitation of the new UNSG Special Representative Colin Stewart who said on Friday that it is an informal social event without an agenda. Stewart had his first of separate meetings with the two leaders on Friday.

He has also expressed the hope that tonight’s reception “will be another chance to get to know the leaders better, allow them have some time with each other and hopefully get off to a good start.”

Due to the pandemic, only a few guests will attend.  Expected guests, besides the two leaders, will be Greek Cypriot negotiator Andreas Mavroyiannis, special representative of the Turkish Cypriot leader Ergun Olgun and the head of the Technical Committees of both sides.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Numerous rounds of talks under the UN aegis to reunite the island under a federal roof have failed to yield results.

Source: CNA