The European Commission’s new envoy for the Cyprus problem Raffaele Fitto on Monday said he is “honoured” to undertake the role, after his appointment was announced earlier in the day.

“I would like to thank [European Commission] President Ursula von der Leyen for her trust and confidence. I welcome this responsibility and remain fully committed to supporting the United Nations-led process, in close cooperation with [UN envoy Maria Angela] Holguin,” he said.

He said he will work to “help create the conditions for the resumption of negotiations” and to “support a comprehensive and lasting settlement, including by building trust among all stakeholders and interlocutors”.

Unlike his predecessor, Austrian diplomat Johannes Hahn, Fitto is currently a member of the European Union’s college of commissioners, having been appointed by von der Leyen as executive vice president for cohesion in 2024.

Prior to that, he had served as Italy’s European affairs minister between 2022 and 2024, and before that had served two separate stints as a member of the European Parliament, between 1999 and 2000, and between 2014 and 2022. He also served as  Italy’s regional affairs minister between 2008 and 2011, under late prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

He most recently visited Cyprus at the end of last month, travelling to Paphos to attend the final EU high-level conference of Cyprus’ six-month term as the holder of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency, where the matters of islands and coastal communities were deliberated.