Boutros-Ghali in Cyprus

FORMER UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali last night said Cyprus could play a role in promoting peace in the region.

Ghali, who was Secretary General from 1992 to 1997, is in Cyprus attending the opening last night of the new headquarters of the Neocleous Law Office in Limassol. In his address, Ghali highlighted Cyprus’ role in maintaining peace in the Mediterranean region.

He made no direct reference to the current Cyprus talks however.

“I am delighted to be back in Cyprus – a country which has always been high on my agenda, during all my life. Not only as Minister in Egypt, later Secretary General of the UN and before that as a young professor dealing with the problem of this region,” he said.

“I am sure that Cyprus will play an important role – a bridge between the south and the north of the Mediterranean Sea. Being the centre of civilisation you can play this role of a mediator, conciliator and of the middle man. And I wish for Cyprus to help to promote peace in this region, because this region needs above all peace; you will never obtain peace unless you have the political will to enter in long negotiations and continue to negotiate until you will find a solution to all the problems of the region,” he added.

Following the opening ceremony Ghali declined to hold a press conference and did not answer journalists’ questions.

Meanwhile, in his address at the ceremony the Mayor of Limassol Andreas Christou noted the significance of Ghali’s presence in the seaside town. “It is a great honour for Limassol to host the former UN Secretary-General: a great friend of Cyprus, an exceptional legal academic and politician,” said Christou.

Neokleous House, on Makarios Avenue in Limassol will house the law firm’s headquarters. “It is a unique building from a technological perspective with a lot of innovations in terms of energy saving and raw materials used, while it blends harmoniously with the town’s environment, and is comfortable, green, friendly and familiar both for staff and visitors,” a press release issued by the law firm read.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.