European Commission Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto will visit Cyprus in his first trip to the island since assuming his additional role as the European Union's Special Representative for the Cyprus issue.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that Fitto will meet President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman, one day after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres concludes his visit to the island.
EU commitment
According to CNA sources, Fitto is expected to arrive in Cyprus on Thursday afternoon and depart on Friday.
"The visit of Executive Vice-President Fitto confirms the European Union's commitment to contributing to a settlement of the Cyprus issue and to supporting the ongoing efforts of the United Nations, as well as Secretary-General Guterres' personal commitment to achieving this objective," a European Commission spokesperson responsible for cohesion policy told CNA.
The spokesperson said the visit forms part of Fitto's mandate to contribute to the UN-led Cyprus settlement process, working in close cooperation and coordination with the UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.
Fitto's visit takes place a day after Guterres concludes his latest visit to Cyprus, underscoring continued coordination between the European Union and the United Nations in support of renewed efforts to advance the peace process.
Source: CNA
