Nicosia, Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s decision to appoint Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the European Union’s special representative for Cyprus.
He said the appointment of a senior Commission official demonstrates increased EU interest in the Cyprus issue and readiness to take a more substantive role in efforts to restart UN-led reunification talks.
Political weight for EU involvement
Christodoulides said the appointment of an official at the top of the Commission’s institutional hierarchy gives particular political weight to the common effort.
He described the decision as a tangible result of the government’s strategy to strengthen EU involvement in the Cyprus issue, an approach he said had been pursued from the outset at the highest European level.
Previous milestones
The president cited the European Council conclusions of April 2024 and a joint letter sent by von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March 2025 as milestones in the strategy.
He said securing a senior EU representative had always been among the government’s strategic objectives, adding that an approach initially met with scepticism by some is now recognised as positive and meaningful.
Links with EU-Turkey relations
Christodoulides said that, as the UN Secretary-General’s latest initiative on Cyprus is under way, the EU has indicated its readiness to use all available tools to support the process.
He reiterated that progress in EU-Turkey relations is directly linked to progress on the Cyprus issue and could create incentives for a mutually beneficial way forward.
The president said the government’s determination, consistency and methodical implementation of its strategy, together with Guterres’ commitment, had created fresh momentum and resulted in concrete initiatives. He thanked von der Leyen for her role, interest and continuous coordination on the Cyprus issue.
