The European Commission has announced the appointment of Johannes Hahn as the Special Envoy of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for issues concerning the Cyprus Problem.

According to the official statement, Hahn will report directly to President von der Leyen and will support the settlement process within the framework of the United Nations, working closely with the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus, María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.

The role of the Special Envoy will involve engaging with all relevant stakeholders and interlocutors to help pave the way for the resumption of negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive and sustainable solution. This includes fostering trust between the parties.

The Commission underlined that this decision reaffirms its commitment to the reunification of Cyprus and the pursuit of a viable and functional settlement, in line with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and in accordance with EU principles, values, and law.

Johannes Hahn has held multiple senior posts in the European Commission: Commissioner for Regional Policy (2010–2014) under the Barroso Commission, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (2014–2019) under the Juncker Commission, and most recently, Commissioner for Budget and Administration (2019–2024) in the first von der Leyen Commission. Prior to his roles in Brussels, he served as Austria’s Minister for Science and Research from 2007 to 2010 and was a member of Vienna’s regional government for four years.