Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos on Sunday described the European Union’s outgoing High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell as a “true friend of Cyprus”, as his tenure in Brussels came to an end.

Borrell was on Sunday officially replaced by former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

Kombos described said Borrell is a “true friend of Cyprus and a true European who worked with dedication to forge a strong EU in the world”.

Borrell had visited Cyprus as one of his last trips in his role, having come to the island to meet with Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations.

He had also offered frequent rebuttals to efforts made to include the north in the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS), despite EU member state Hungary’s observer membership of the OTS.

Last month, he had said he “rejects” efforts to “legitimise” the north, saying, “the EU reiterates that it only recognises the Republic of Cyprus as a subject of international law, in accordance with the respective UN Security Council resolutions.”

He had also direct condemnation of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s presence at a previous OTS summit, held in the Azerbaijani town of Shusha in July.

“Hungary has not received any mandate from the European Council to advance relations with the OTS. The EU rejects the attempts by the OTS to legitimise the Turkish Cypriot secessionist entity,” he said.

He had also said the EU “attaches particular importance to the resumption and progress of talks for a solution to the Cyprus problem” for the further development of relations between itself and Turkey.

Borrell’s successor Kallas and new European Council President Antonio Costa both visited Kyiv on Sunday to mark their first day in office in a mark of solidarity towards the country.

“In my first visit since taking up office, my message is clear: the European Union wants Ukraine to win this war,” Kallas said.