35th Peace Sapling Planted in Ledra Palace Buffer Zone

The 35th symbolic peace sapling was planted at the Ledra Palace Hotel in the buffer zone on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of dialogue between Cypriot-Turkish and Cypriot-Greek political parties.

The event was held under the auspices of the Slovak Embassy and Ambassador Martin Bezák. It was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Juraj Blanár, who maintained contacts on the island. Representatives of foreign diplomatic missions, the mayor of the Turkish municipality of Nicosia, Mehmet Harmanchi, and representatives of some political parties participated in bicommunal meetings.

As part of the event, speeches were given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Juraj Blanár, UN officer Sherry Holbrook, and Marek Sobola, the founder of the “Peace Saplings” initiative.

In his speech, the head of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was a great honor for him to attend this event, and the symbolic planting of the “peace sapling” in Nicosia “sent a powerful signal of peace not only to Cyprus but to all humanity.”

• Dialogues between political parties support the UN peace process, providing a direct channel of communication between the two communities. This is a long-term measure to build trust, which strengthens relationships during periods of negotiation deadlock,” said Juraj Blanár.

Stating that the Slovak Embassy intends to continue holding meetings between bicommunal political parties, the Slovak Foreign Minister expressed a desire for a “fair and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem.”

Representing the UN, Sherry Holbrook announced that the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguín Cuellar, and the head of the UNFICYP mission, Colin Stewart. They were not present at today's event but sent congratulatory messages to the participants.

It is worth noting that the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy is currently on the island.

Additionally, the global “Peace Sapling” campaign was developed by a Slovak non-governmental organization and aimed at promoting the idea of peace and friendship between countries.

As part of the project, a total of 35 peace saplings were planted in 21 countries on 4 continents.