President Ersin Tatar participates in the end-of-year reception hosted by the UN
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President Ersin Tatar and First Lady Sibel Tatar participated in the end-of-year reception hosted by the UN at the Ledra Palace hotel in the UN Buffer Zone in Lefkoşa.
President Ersin Tatar and Greek Cypriot Leader Nikos Christodoulides and their spouses attended the reception hosted by Colin Stewart, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Cyprus and UNFICYP’s Chief of Mission.
The reception was also attended by Güneş Onar, Special Representative of the President, Greek Cypriot negotiator Menelaos Menelaou, members of the negotiating team, technical committee co-chairs, as well as diplomats, UN officials and representatives of some civil society organisations from both sides of the island.
Speaking to the press following the reception, President Tatar thanked the UN, the host Mr. Stewart for his hospitality, to the participants for attending, and wished everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
President Tatar stated: “I am always ready to discuss issues constructively, so long as we have reciprocity. The Turkish Cypriot People have their own State, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and I would like to have a better sustainable future for Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots, so long as we understand each other. What I expect from Mr. Christodoulides, is for him to be more understanding to the Turkish Cypriots. We have as much sovereignty rights as that of Greek Cypriots. I hope that we will have constructive meetings. I hope that we will have more crossing points that will contribute to better relations between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots.”
Meanwhile, addressing the participants at the reception, Mr. Stewart stated that despite the challenges in 2024, there remains a "ray of hope" for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Refering to the informal dinner meeting hosted by the UN Secretary-General for the two Leaders in New York in October, Mr. Stewart stated that an agreement had been reached to explore the opening of more crossing points, and for a broader meeting to be held in the future.
Highlighting the 60th anniversary of UNFICYP in 2024, Mr. Stewart extended his gratitude to all UN member states that have contributed to the peacekeeping mission since its establishment in 1964.
Mr. Stewart also paid tribute to the work of Güneş Onar, Special Representative of President Tatar, Menelaos Menelaou, Chief Negotiator of the Greek Cypriot Side, and to Confidence Building Measures and Technical Committees Coordinator, Director/Representative Seniha Birand Çınar and technical committees co-chair Theodoulos Ioannou, and to all the technical committee co-chairs.