Despite the heat, Mesic had not cancelled his visit to the the so-called Green Line, the line of demarcation that has been dividing the Cypriot capital into the southern Greek Cypriot region and the northern Turkish Cypriot region since 1974.
Mesic and Mayor Mavra were welcomed by UN peace keepers that have been on the island for the past 33 years. Among members of the UNFICYP peace keepers are also four Croatian soldiers whom Mesic will meet later today.
Before visiting the buffer zone, Mayor Mavra presented the Croatian president with the Nicosia Charter and an honorary diploma to mark the first visit of a Croatian president to the Cypriot capital. She also informed Mesic of the Nicosia history and the city's importance as a political, cultural and economic capital of Cyprus.
The Croatian president also held talks with Cypriot Parliament Speaker Demetris Christofias who reiterated his country's strong support to Croatia's accelerated joining the EU.
Christofias and Mesic agreed that the two countries had excellent political relations but that they needed to boost economic cooperation.
Later today, the Croatian president is scheduled to give a talk in the European Institute in Nicosia about Croatia's drawing closer to NATO and the European Union.