Cyprus President begins New York contacts

President Nicos Anastasiades is in New York to address the UN General Assembly and hold informal talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres over lunch.

On Sunday, he honoured the Executive Director of the American-Jewish Committee, David Harris, with the Order of Makarios III, one of the highest awards bestowed by the Republic of Cyprus.

Harris was rewarded for upgrading relations between the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean in strengthening the strategic cooperation between Cyprus, Greece and Israel.

“David Harris, the son of Holocaust survivors, has dedicated his life to the promotion of Jewish interests, with the late Israeli President Shimon Peres describing him as ‘the foreign minister of the Jewish people’,” said Anastasiades.

On Monday, President Anastasiades will visit Ground Zero; during a special ceremony, he will lay a wreath at the Monument to the Victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Then he will have a meeting with the Director-General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, with whom he will discuss the protection of cultural heritage.

Later Monday, Anastasiades will announce details about the upcoming with Guterres and his joint meeting with the UN boss and the Turkish Cypriot leader.

The President will address the UN assembly on September 24.

Anastasiades is accompanied by Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides and Government Spokesperson Marios Pelekanos.