The President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, issued a written statement welcoming the official appointment of the EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus Issue.

“I welcome with great satisfaction the decision by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to appoint the Commission’s Executive Vice President, Raffaele Fitto, as the EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus Issue.”

According to President Christodoulides, the selection of an official at the very top of the Commission’s institutional hierarchy demonstrates the European Union’s heightened interest and its readiness to play a leading and more substantive engagement in efforts to resume negotiations within the framework of the United Nations, and lends particular political weight to the joint effort.

 “Today’s development is yet another significant result of the consistent strategy we have pursued from the outset at the highest European level. A strategy that was set out in the Conclusions of the European Council of April 2024 and further reinforced by the joint letter from the President of the European Commission and thePresident of the European Council to the Secretary-General of the United Nations in March 2025.

SEE ALSO: Meet the EU’s New Special Representative for Cyprus

The EU’s leading role and the appointment of a European Envoy—who, moreover, sits at the top of the institutional hierarchy—have been our strategic objective from the outset.  An approach that was met with reservations by some is now recognized as positive and substantive.

Thank you, dear @vonderleyen, for appointing Vice President @raffaelefitto as Special Representative for Cyprus to actively contribute to our efforts toward the reunification of Cyprus, in line with UN Security Council resolutions and EU law, values, and principles.

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A strong signal…

— NikosChristodoulides (@Christodulides) July 13, 2026

At a time when the UN Secretary-General’s initiative is underway, the EU declares itself ready to make use of the tools at its disposal. Progress in EU-Turkey relations is directly linked to progress on the Cyprus issue and can create substantial incentives for a mutually beneficial path forward.

Our determination, consistency, and methodical implementation of our strategy, combined with the UN Secretary-General’s steadfast commitment, have generated new momentum and concrete initiatives. We will continue to seize every window of opportunity for substantive progress, in the hope that all parties—and Turkey in particular—will demonstrate the same sincere political will.

I thank the President of the European Commission for her decisive role, her sincere interest, and her close and continuous coordination.”

I welcome with particular satisfaction the decision by the President of the European Commission, @vonderleyen, to appoint the Executive Vice-President of the Commission, Raffaele Fitto, as the EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus Issue.

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The selection of an official at the very top of…

— President of the Republic of Cyprus (@PresidentCYP) July 13, 2026