EU envoy Raffaele Fitto meets Cypriot leaders to discuss reunification

On July 31, 2026, the European Commission’s newly appointed Special Representative for the Cyprus problem, Raffaele Fitto, conducted his first official visit to Nicosia. Fitto held talks with President Nikos Christodoulides in the morning, followed by a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman. This visit marks the EU's intensified engagement in efforts to break the deadlock and facilitate an expanded conference under United Nations auspices, following a recent visit by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

While President Christodoulides welcomed the EU's active role in shaping the content of a potential settlement and managing EU-Turkey relations, Tufan Erhurman expressed reservations. Erhurman argued that the EU cannot act as a neutral party at the negotiating table, citing what he described as biased decisions by European institutions, particularly the European Parliament. He emphasized the need for confidence-building measures not only between the island’s two communities but also between the Turkish Cypriot community and the EU. Fitto concluded the meetings by pledging to return in the coming months to continue dialogue with all parties.