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Just a day after UN Secretary-General António Guterres left Cyprus with plans for a new international conference, another key diplomatic figure is arriving on the island, this time from Brussels.
Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and the European Union's newly appointed Special Representative for the Cyprus issue, is due to arrive in Cyprus on Thursday before holding separate meetings on Friday with President Nikos Christodoulides and Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
For many people, the obvious question is, why is the EU getting more involved now?
The answer lies in the renewed diplomatic momentum that followed Guterres' visit. The UN chief announced plans to convene another informal 5+1 conference involving the island's two communities, Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom. But before any new talks can begin, diplomats are working behind the scenes to narrow differences and build enough trust to bring everyone back to the negotiating table.
That is where Fitto comes in.
His role is not to replace the United Nations or negotiate a settlement himself. Instead, the European Commission says he has been tasked with supporting the UN-led peace process, working closely with the UN Secretary-General's personal envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín.
His meetings with both leaders are expected to focus on how the European Union can help create the conditions needed for negotiations to resume after nearly a decade of deadlock.
The EU also has something neither side can ignore, its political and economic relationship with Turkey.
European officials believe that progress in EU-Turkey relations could help create a more positive environment for movement on the Cyprus issue, making Brussels an increasingly important player alongside the United Nations.
For Cyprus, Fitto's visit signals something many have been calling for: a more active European role in a problem that directly affects an EU member state.
Whether that translates into meaningful progress remains to be seen.
Years of failed negotiations have made many Cypriots cautious about getting their hopes up. Yet the back-to-back visits by Guterres and Fitto suggest that the Cyprus issue has climbed back up the international agenda.
The coming weeks could prove crucial as diplomats work towards another informal 5+1 meeting, expected later this year, in what many hope will become the first real step toward restarting formal peace negotiations.
*With information from AP News and ToVima
