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73.

REMARKS
BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE
AT GENEVA
MR VLADIMIR PETROVSKY
AT THE DINNER IN HONOUR OF AMBASSADOR GYGER
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SWITZERLAND TO
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GENEVA AND PERMANENT
OBSERVER TO THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA

Geneva, 23 November 1999

I hardly need to remind you that this is a very special month at

UNOG. It is a month when the international and local communi-
ty pay tribute to Ambassador and Mrs. Gyger for their many
accomplishments.

Indeed, Mr. and Mrs. Gyger have had a tremendous personal impact on
the emergence of Geneva International in its new three-dimensional role: as a
centre for conference diplomacy, operations and political know-how.

Mr. Gyger has arrived when the reform had just started and was immedi-
ately included in the process, helping to establish the ground rules between
Geneva International, local and federal authorities and the population. He set a
good example of bridge-building in a very short period of time when the waters
of world politics were particularly tumultuous.

For the future of Geneva, the close links between the diplomatic commu-
nity and the people are of vital importance. The spirit but also the material
well-being of both rive droite and rive gauche depend upon the contribution of
each.

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