UN Personal Envoy on Cyprus María Ángela Holguín held talks in Brussels on Wednesday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her newly appointed Special Representative for Cyprus, Raffaele Fitto.
In a post on social media, von der Leyen said she was "delighted" to meet with Holguín, and welcomed her active engagement, alongside UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, to resolve the Cyprus issue within the UN framework and in line with EU principles, values and legislation.
The Commission "will support this effort with all the assistance and tools at our disposal," said von der Leyen, noting that the newly designated Special Representative for Cyprus Fitto is engaging with all key stakeholders.
Delighted to meet María Ángela Holguín.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 22, 2026
I welcome her active engagement, alongside @antonioguterres, to resolve the Cyprus issue within the @UN framework and in line with EU principles, values and legislation.@EU_Commission will support this effort with all the assistance and… pic.twitter.com/w3iFMW8Lay
For his part, Fitto, who is also the Commission's Executive Vice-President on Cohesion and Reform, described the meeting in a social media post as “an important opportunity to establish a constructive working relationship and exchange initial views”. He added that the EU remains fully committed to supporting the UN-led process.
Fitto was also joined by Giulla Bertezzolo, head of the Commission's Cyprus Settlement Support Unit, which comes under his authority and supports EU policies related to Cyprus’ reunification, including the aid programme for the Turkish Cypriot community and implementation of the Green Line Regulation.
According to a CNA source familiar with the discussions, the meetings – held at the European Commission headquarters – took place in a positive atmosphere with Fitto and Holguín agreeing to remain in contact.
Fitto talks to two leaders
A Commission spokesperson noted that prior to his meeting with the UN envoy, Fitto held telephone conversations on Tuesday with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
Also on Tuedsay, Holguín spoke on the phone with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
Tomorrow, Thursday, the UN envoy is expected to meet with Anna-Maria Boura, diplomatic adviser of European Council President Antonio Costa who is currently away from Brussels.
Brussels-Ankara-Cyprus
On Friday, Holguín will travel to Ankara for a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, ahead of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' visit to the island on 27-29 July.
Guterres is scheduled to hold a series of meetings in Cyprus aimed at advancing efforts to relaunch formal Cyprus settlement talks before the end of his term later this year. His programme on 28 July includes separate meetings with Christodoulides and Erhürman, a visit to the Committee on Missing Persons, a meeting with civil society representatives and a dinner with the two leaders at the UN Protected Area in Nicosia.
On 29 July, Guterres will hold a trilateral meeting with the two leaders before giving a press conference. He is expected to be accompanied by his personal envoy Holguín, Under-Secretaries-General Rosemary DiCarlo and Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and other senior UN officials.
Last chance saloon?
According to sources, Guterres hopes to achieve meaningful progress on Cyprus before leaving office and is working towards an expanded 5+1 meeting in September that could help create conditions for a resumption of negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Bicommunal Peace Initiative – United Cyprus has called for parallel demonstrations on July 28 under the slogan ‘Federal Solution Now’, timed to coincide with Guterres' dinner with the two leaders. The initiative said rallies will take place simultaneously on both sides of the divided capital, near the entrance to the UN Protected Area opposite the University of Nicosia in the south and at the Ayios Dometios crossing in the north. It also plans to welcome the UN chief and deliver a message as he passes the Home for Cooperation in the Nicosia buffer zone at 10.30am on the same day.
🇪🇺 Oggi a #Bruxelles ho incontrato María Ángela Holguín, Inviata personale del Segretario generale delle Nazioni Unite per #Cipro🇨🇾
— Raffaele Fitto (@RaffaeleFitto) July 22, 2026
A seguito della mia recente designazione come Rappresentante speciale della Commissione europea per Cipro, questo incontro ha rappresentato… pic.twitter.com/dnfg41Zfr0
