Strong UK-Cyprus post-Brexit relations, says minister (Updated)
September 7th, 2016 Jean Christou |Cyprus Mail
Britain’s Minister of State for Europe Sir Alan Duncan (left) is greeted by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides
Britain’s Minister of State for Europe Sir Alan Duncan said on Wednesday that Cyprus was top of his agenda as part of his new responsibilities.
The British minister discussed the Cyprus negotiations, bilateral relations and Brexit with Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides in Nicosia as part of a two-day official visit.
“This [Cyprus] is very much at the top of my agenda… there is nothing we would like to see more than a successfully concluded settlement, to bring unity across the whole island,” he said.
Referring to the Brexit referendum, Sir Alan said the outcome was fully accepted. “In a democracy, when the people speak you have to listen and accept the outcome, and the verdict was that we will leave, and so we will leave the European Union, but do so in a way, which – I hope – keeps the United Kingdom as an outward-looking globally minded country,” he said.
Part of this would be maintaining bilateral relations, including with Cyprus. Regular discussions would be held in the upcoming months to address the concerns of the two countries, he said.
“It is a very complex process of decent handling from our current membership, but in ensuring that we can maintain prosperity, openness, trade and the social friendship we want,” Sir Alan said.
As for a UK role – Britain is a guarantor power – in a Cyprus settlement, Sir Alan said it was up to those who were negotiating to set the details and the terms. UK support would include leveraging Britain’s important “diplomatic influence” as a solution would need international support.
“There will be a point, where a measure for financial support is going to be required. So, everything we can do to assist the participants in bringing together any kind of useful support for this process, is exactly what we will do,” he said.
Asked if the UK would return the same amount of British bases land as promised under the Annan plan in 2004, Sir Alan this would inevitably form part of the negotiations but at the moment no “straightforward, easy detailed answer” could be given, he said.
In his comments, Kasoulides referred to bilateral relations with the UK.
“With the UK, we are already cooperating in crisis management, humanitarian operations as well as in finding best ways to deal with growing asymmetric threats. I am pleased to observe that there is a momentum and willingness from both sides to keep expanding it,” he said.
“Cyprus also appreciates UK’s immediate response to our request for the dispatch of firefighting aircraft and a support team,” he added, referring to the devastating fire in the Solea region in June.
On Brexit, Kasoulides said they had discussed the evolving situation.
“On the European level we need to launch an internal process of introspection, in order to find the root causes of this feeling of alienation of our citizens and the perceived absence of democratic transparency and accountability, so that we can achieve a better and more efficient Europe,” Kasoulides said.
He expressed the belief that London should be afforded time to determine how it envisages its future relationship with the EU, “but the sooner this is determined the better for all of us, as the uncertainty is not without consequences for both”, he said.