The new UN Secretary General Special representative Colin Stewart hosted on Tuesday evening a reception for the leaders of the new communities at the Ledra Palace Hotel at the buffer zone.

The new representative, Canadian Colin Stewart arrived on the island last week, succeeding Elizabeth Spehar. The last time the leaders met, President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar was last September in New York, at a tripartite meeting hosted by the UNSG Antonio Guterres.

President Anastasiades arrived first at the venue at around 1910 and was greeted by Stewart. A few minutes later Ersin Tatar arrived. Both were accompanied by their negotiators Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ergün Olgun.

They both greeted the guests, a closed circle due to measures in place for the pandemic and then after a few words with them they had a family picture with the special representative who made a brief statement .

President Anastasiades departed first at around 2000.

The ambassadors of the permanent members of the UN security council and heads and vice presidents of the 12 technical committees were present at the reception.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Numerous rounds of peace talks under the UN auspices failed to yield results.