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With UN Secretary-General António Guterres arriving in Cyprus on Monday for fresh talks on the island's future, President Nikos Christodoulides is bringing political leaders together today to discuss what comes next.
The National Council is meeting at the Presidential Palace on Friday morning to prepare for Guterres' three-day visit, which many hope could breathe new life into efforts to restart negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
But before the meeting even began, one political leader made an unexpected announcement.
'I don't know enough'
Phidias Panayiotou, the YouTuber-turned-MEP and leader of the Direct Democracy movement, said he would not attend the National Council because he doesn't believe he knows enough about the Cyprus issue to advise the president.
In a video posted on social media, Panayiotou said he thought it would be more honest to step aside than pretend to be an expert on one of the country's most complicated and sensitive issues.
Instead, he appointed businessman Mike Spanos to represent him at the meeting.
Under National Council rules, political party leaders are allowed to send someone else in their place.
"I trust him," Panayiotou said when explaining why he chose Spanos, even though he is not a member of the Direct Democracy movement.
His decision quickly sparked discussion online, with some praising his honesty and others questioning whether someone elected to represent Cyprus should already have a solid grasp of the country's biggest political issue.
So, who is Mike Spanos?
While his name may not be familiar to everyone, Spanos is well known in Cyprus' business community.
He spent decades leading Coca-Cola's operations in Cyprus before becoming CEO of Coca-Cola Turkey. He has also served on the boards of the Bank of Cyprus, the Central Bank of Cyprus and several major companies.
Today, he runs his own consulting company, MS Business Power Ltd, and is the founding chairman of Green Dot Cyprus, the organisation behind the island's recycling system.
Spanos has also dipped his toe into politics before.
In 2017, AKEL chose him as its preferred candidate for the 2018 presidential election. However, he withdrew just a week later after the two sides failed to agree on a common political platform.
A busy few days ahead
Today's National Council meeting is just the start of a packed diplomatic schedule.
President Christodoulides is expected to travel to Athens on Saturday for talks with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis before Guterres arrives in Cyprus.
There could also be meetings with European Commission special envoy Rafael Fitto and UN Secretary-General's personal envoy María Ángela Holguín, who is due to meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara on Friday as preparations continue.
For many Cypriots, visits by UN leaders often bring a mix of hope and caution. After decades of stalled negotiations, expectations are usually kept in check.
Whether next week's meetings lead to any real breakthrough remains to be seen, but today's National Council gathering is expected to help shape Cyprus' position before those discussions begin.
