European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto made his first visit to Cyprus on Friday since his appointment as EU Special Representative on the Cyprus issue. He met successively with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
The European Union wants to have a significant influence in the negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus. This was the message Raffaele Fitto delivered on Friday at the presidential palace in Nicosia, where he was received by Nikos Christodoulides. "The European Union is sending a very clear message: it wants to work and participate by playing a very important role in the United Nations process," he declared after the meeting.
Fitto clarified that the objective of this initial visit was to listen to the positions of the various parties before returning to the island in the coming months. He estimated that, within that same timeframe, "very significant results" could be achieved.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos described the meeting as "particularly useful and constructive." He emphasized the tight schedule of these consultations, noting that UN Secretary-General António Guterres had himself visited Cyprus a few days earlier to propose a new, expanded meeting in the "5+1" format, subject to sufficient prior preparation.
Kombos highlighted the leverage that EU-Turkey relations represent. "Euro-Turkish relations are an issue that can be used as leverage," he stated, emphasizing that Fitto already has communication channels with Ankara. The Cypriot side says it is working on "reflections, ideas, and proposals" that could accelerate the process before Guterres's term ends in December. "The answer to all these questions lies in Ankara," the minister cautioned.
The European Commission clarified that Fitto's mission is to support the UN settlement process in close coordination with the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, María Ángela Holguín. Brussels reaffirms its support for a bi-zonal and bi-community federation solution, in line with Security Council resolutions and the European acquis, and states its readiness to mobilize its resources in an "active role."
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