SASG Eide holds contacts on the island

NICOSIA, 13 March 2017 - The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Mr. Espen Barth Eide, this morning met with Dr. Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB). The two had a good discussion about the bank's role in supporting the economic development in a united Cyprus following a possible reunification of the island. The Bank is soon slated to begin a feasibility study of the conditions on the island for its investment, starting with the identification of vital infrastructure projects in both communities, which have expressed support for the bank's project proposal. Dr. Hoyer has been President of the EIB since January 2012. Since arriving back in Cyprus on 9 March, SASG Eide has held a number of engagements on the island. On 11 March, he joined educators for the final conference on 'Developing a Culture of Co-operation through Teaching and Learning History'. The event was held at the Home for Cooperation in the buffer zone, under the auspices of Cyprus' Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research; it involved participants from the EU as well as Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot educators. The history-teaching project is an initiative of the Council of Europe in Cyprus, implemented in collaboration with the AHDR. Mr. Eide and Deputy SASG Elizabeth Spehar also attended the conference on Friday 10 March 2017. Speaking at the closing, SASG Eide said he was greatly encouraged by the strong collaboration between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot educators in their efforts to build a culture of cooperation through history. He added that history could be used to open - or close - minds. Earlier that day, Mr. Eide and Ms. Spehar spent time with members of the Buyuk Han Coffee Club, a bi-communal group of Cypriots that holds regular social gatherings at the historic Buyuk Han coffee house in north Nicosia. On 10 March, Mr. Eide briefed members of the diplomatic community in Cyprus on developments in the talks, and received a delegation of European political youth organizations. The SASG will continue his contacts on the island in the coming days.