Raffaele Fito, Executive Vice President of the European Commission and EU Special Representative for Cyprus, is expected to present a proposal during his visits to Turkey in early November, to launch discussions on upgrading the EU-Turkey customs union, provided that negotiations on the Cyprus issue resume.
According to information obtained by CNA, the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, following his bilateral meeting on Wednesday morning with the President of the European Commission on the sidelines of the Leaders’ Summit of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), in Antalya, Turkey, subsequently held a second meeting with Ursula von der Leyen.
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According to reports, Ms. von der Leyen, who had spoken earlier with the UN Secretary-General, informed President Christodoulides that she had briefed António Guterres on Raffaele Fito’s upcoming trip to Ankara, on November 20, where he will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
He also told him that Mr. Fito would convey to his contacts in Ankara the EU’s readiness to begin discussions on upgrading the customs union with Turkey, if and when negotiations on the Cyprus issue resume.
According to the same briefing, Mr. Guterres said that the goal is to resume negotiations before the end of his term.
Reports indicate that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mediated to facilitate Mr. Fito’s trip to Ankara.
President Christodoulides concluded his remarks at the Leaders’ Summit on Wednesday afternoon and subsequently departed from Antalya to travel to Dublin via Athens, where tomorrow, the 12th, and the day after, November 13, he will participate in the European Political Community (EPC) Summit and the informal European Council meeting, respectively.
According to the same briefing, Raffaele Fito asked President Christodoulides to hold a telephone conversation to discuss Schengen and Turkey.
Regarding the background of the Leaders’ Summit held as part of COP31, it was reported that President Christodoulides had a brief meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, and the two men shook hands.
The same sources report that the EU, through the intervention of its Ambassador to Turkey, Aivo Orav, prevented the organizers of COP31 from including the name “Southern Cyprus” on the signage for the Cypriot delegation.
In this regard, it is reported that there was an agreement between President Christodoulides and President von der Leyen, that if Tufan Erhurman were also present in the conference’s group photo, they would both leave—which ultimately did not happen. However, Mr. Erhurman was present at the COP31 opening ceremony as a guest of the host country.
Source: CNA
