A clear message that he is banking on more active EU involvement in the Cyprus problem was sent by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis, welcoming EU Special Envoy for the Cyprus, Johannes Hahn.

The meeting came hours before the Cypriot president’s one-on-one meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader, with Nicos Christodoulides making clear that his goal is to resume negotiations from where they broke off in Crans-Montana in the summer of 2017.

“We have lost two and a half years and now is the time to discuss the substance,” he said, stressing that the engagement of the EU and Khan personally “can help pave the way for the resumption of the talks and, of course, for a solution to the Cyprus problem.”

“If it was up to me, we’d already have a solution”

The Cypriot President, with Deputy Minister of State for European Affairs Marilena Raouna at his side, welcomed the European envoy with an obvious desire to upgrade the role of Brussels at the table.

He expressed satisfaction that Khan will finally have a meeting with the Turkish Cypriot leader as well, stressing that Nicosia and Brussels together can give impetus to a new effort.

Responding to Khan’s message that “now is the time for results” and that a new opportunity for the Cyprus problem is taking shape, Nicos Christodoulides also sent a more personal signal of will: “Rest assured that if it were up to me, we would have a successful outcome.”

Han: Time for results, not theories

For his part, Johannes Hahn spoke of “time for results” after a long period of difficult moments on the Cyprus problem, noting that today there is a window of opportunity, without describing it as a “last chance”.

The European envoy stressed that the EU is “investing heavily” in President Christodoulides’ relationship with the Turkish Cypriot leader to pave the way not only for the resumption of talks but for a “final, positive solution” to the Cyprus problem.

His appointment is directly linked to the role assigned to him by the European Commission in May, when Khan was appointed Special Envoy for Cyprus, tasked with supporting, in close coordination with UN Secretary General envoy Maria Angela Olgin, the effort to restart talks on the basis of Security Council resolutions and EU principles.

The role of the EU and the messages to Ankara

Nicosia sees Khan’s presence in Cyprus as a tool to bring issues related to Ankara’s desire for a closer relationship with the EU to the table. The EU remains Turkey’s main economic and political springboard, even if accession negotiations have been frozen for years.

In the last twenty-four hours, Nicos Christodoulides has directly linked Turkey’s stance on the Cyprus issue to the future of the Euro-Turkish relationship, reminding that Ankara’s insistence on “two states” is a major obstacle to any progress towards the EU.

At the same time, a broader package for Turkey is being discussed in Brussels, including upgrading the customs union, migration management and energy and security cooperation. Nicosia is seeking to link these tools to concrete steps by Ankara on the Cyprus issue, not general assurances.