Ursula von der Leyen in Cyprus for humanitarian corridor talks

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to visit Cyprus following the conclusion of the European People's Party summit in Bucharest, Romania, sources from EPP told Cyprus News Agency.

According to the same sources, von der Leyen's visit to Cyprus is expected on Thursday or Friday. She is anticipated to address the EPP summit, where her candidacy for a second term as Commission President is expected to be ratified with the support of the center-right pan-European party. On Thursday, she will be joined by President Nikos Christodoulides of the Republic.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, von der Leyen mentioned her phone conversation with President Christodoulides, where they discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza. She also added that the Commission will support the implementation of a maritime humanitarian corridor from Cyprus.

A government source confirmed Tuesday afternoon to Cyprus News Agency that the developments are related to the interest of the United States in the humanitarian corridor.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the website of the Israeli newspaper Maariv reported a decision by the Israeli government on Thursday regarding the maritime corridor.

It is worth noting that on Sunday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated that the discussion about transporting humanitarian supplies to Gaza by sea is linked to recent discussions about the possible use of Cyprus, although he added that the idea is still in its early stages.

[With information sourced from 24 News]