Cypriot minister defends EU-Cyprus special representative appointment

Published on

15/07/2026 - 10:44 GMT+2

Cypriot Deputy EU Affairs Minister Marilena Raouna has defended the appointment of European Commission Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto to serve as the EU Commission's special representative for Cyprus, describing him as a “political personality” who will support the island's reunification effort.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus fiercely condemned the appointment on Monday, describing it as “entirely unacceptable”, but Raouna rejected the criticism.

“The Cyprus question is a European question, and reunifying the last divided member state of the European Union will not only be transformative for Cyprus," she said on Euronews’ flagship morning programme, Europe Today. "It will also be transformative for the region of the Eastern Mediterranean.”