Nikos Tornaritis is taking up his duties as Special Political Envoy of the President of the Republic for the Cyprus problem unpaid, but with a mission spanning two continents and no predetermined terms of reference. His trips to countries in Asia and Africa will be determined according to need and on the President's instructions, while the total cost of the travel the new role will require remains unknown.
Asked by Politis what exactly the new special envoy's terms of reference are, the Presidential Palace said there is no specific framework of terms, as the content of his mission will be determined on an ad hoc basis, depending on needs and the instructions he receives from the President of the Republic.
This means that, for now, there is neither a published visit schedule nor a specific number of planned missions, while the total cost of the travel the new role will require has not been made public.
Specifically, the Council of Ministers decision of 16 September provides that Tornaritis will carry out targeted political contacts in Asian and African countries on Cyprus problem issues, on the President's instructions and in coordination with the Foreign Minister. The same decision specifies that he will carry out his duties without a salary.
How much will the Tornaritis appointment cost?
The fact that the appointment is unpaid, however, does not mean the mission comes without cost. The nature of the duties themselves presupposes air travel, accommodation and other expenses linked to official missions abroad.
An indicative survey of airfares by Politis gives a first sense of the scale involved, for flight tickets alone.
Based on the lowest available prices gathered indicatively for the period 16 to 22 November, departing from Larnaca, four sample destinations in Africa and four in Asia come to a combined total of €5,286, if calculated as separate journeys.
That figure does not include accommodation, daily expenses, local travel or any accompanying staff.
The indicative fares were as follows:
Larnaca–Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: €640
Larnaca–Zanzibar, Tanzania: €820
Larnaca–Harare, Zimbabwe: €751
Larnaca–Nairobi, Kenya: €761
Larnaca–Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: €352
Larnaca–Manama, Bahrain: €738
Larnaca–Hanoi, Vietnam: €652
Larnaca–Singapore: €572
The four African destinations come to a combined €2,972, and the four Asian destinations to €2,314. In total, the eight routes reach €5,286 in air fares alone.
This is, of course, an indicative calculation. Airfares vary depending on dates, availability and travel class, and costs could differ if several destinations were combined into a single tour.
Targeting Asia, the Middle East and Africa
Behind the broad geographic scope of the mission lies a wider diplomatic strategy in Nicosia.
Diplomatic sources told Politis that the Republic of Cyprus has placed strengthening contacts with countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa at the centre of its diplomatic activity.
Particular weight, according to the same sources, is being given to Turkic states on one hand and to countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the other, given the importance of their positions and actions for the Cyprus problem.
This focus takes on added significance because of Cyprus's limited diplomatic presence in a large number of countries across the two continents. President Nikos Christodoulides himself, referring to the Tornaritis appointment, noted that this is a region where Cyprus's diplomatic representation is not at the level Nicosia would like.
The appointment, therefore, is intended to complement work the Foreign Ministry has been developing in recent years in geographic areas where Cyprus is seeking to broaden both its bilateral relations and its footing on the Cyprus problem.
The geography of the mission
In Africa, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos visited Kenya and Tanzania in July 2025, part of a series of contacts aimed at further strengthening the Republic of Cyprus's relations with countries on the continent.
In Tanzania he held official talks, with his visit also linked to strengthening the European Union's contacts with African states.
A visit by the Cypriot foreign minister to Ethiopia followed in October 2025, where he held talks, among others, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his Ethiopian counterpart, aimed at strengthening bilateral political and economic relations.
Similar activity has been recorded in Asia, particularly in Central Asia.
In June 2026, Kombos toured Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, his third visit to the region since 2024. According to the Foreign Ministry, the tour aimed to strengthen the Republic of Cyprus's diplomatic footprint, develop bilateral relations and promote EU relations with Central Asia.
The region holds particular interest for the Cyprus problem too. The five Central Asian states had reaffirmed, in a joint declaration with the EU, their commitment to UN Security Council resolutions 541 and 550.
At the Security Council
Particular diplomatic weight also attaches to two of the sample destinations examined for airfare costs.
Kyrgyzstan and Zimbabwe were elected on 3 June 2026 as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2027–2028 term. For Kyrgyzstan, this marks its first-ever seat on the Security Council.
Bahrain is already among the non-permanent Security Council members for the 2026–2027 term, with its tenure ending on 31 December 2027.
Tornaritis's experience
The Presidency links the choice of Nikos Tornaritis to his long-standing international and parliamentary activity.
For 13 years he served as head of the Cyprus delegation to the Asian Parliamentary Assembly, where he was also elected Vice President. He also served as head of the Cyprus delegation and Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Asked about the choice, the President pointed precisely to this experience and to the international contacts Nikos Tornaritis has built up.
Where the new special envoy's first stops will be, however, remains an open question.
