Following their meeting in London in October, the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Keir Starmer, will hold a meeting on Tuesday in Cyprus.
The British Prime Minister’s one-day working visit, which forms part of his regional tour, marks a significant milestone in the close bilateral relations between the two countries, being the first visit by a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in Cyprus on a bilateral level since 1971, when then-Prime Minister Edward Heath visited Cyprus, whilst then-Prime Minister John Major’s visit in 1993 was part of a Commonwealth meeting.
Nicosia says the “meeting represents another important development in the excellent relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom, which have been further strengthened and entered into a new constructive period in the context of their Strategic Cooperation.”
Among the topics to be discussed are the bilateral relations with emphasis on matters pertaining to the Strategic Dialogue between the Republic of Cyprus and the UK, including cooperation in defence and security, education, culture, economy, commerce, investment, and energy.
During their meeting, the Cyprus problem and the efforts to resume the negotiations are also expected to be discussed, as well as, inter alia, matters related to Migration, the situation in Ukraine and European Union (EU)-UK relations.
Emphasis is expected to be given on regional developments and the role Cyprus plays with regard to the provision of humanitarian aid, both historically and more recently through its “Amalthea” initiative, as well as issues concerning the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones.