The European Commission has designated Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto as the Commission's Special Representative for Cyprus.
According to a Commission statement, Fitto will contribute to the settlement process within the United Nations framework, in close cooperation with the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.
“This designation reflects the Commission's strong commitment to the reunification of Cyprus, with the aim of achieving a functional and viable comprehensive settlement in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and in line with the principles, values and legislation of the European Union,” said the Commission.
The statement further noted that Fitto will engage with all relevant stakeholders and interlocutors to prepare the ground for the resumption of negotiations and support a comprehensive and lasting solution, including through building trust between all stakeholders and interlocutors.
Fitto will bring “his long-standing experience in European governance, regional cooperation and institutional dialogue” to the Commission's efforts to facilitate progress towards a comprehensive Cyprus settlement.
President Nikos Christodoulides welcomed the appointment, noting that “the selection of an official at the very top of the Commission’s institutional hierarchy demonstrates the EU’s heightened interest and its readiness to play a leading and more substantive role in efforts to resume negotiations within the framework of the United Nations, while also lending particular political weight to the joint effort.”
