British Labour leader Keir Starmer arrived in Cyprus on Monday evening for a rare prime ministerial visit to the Mediterranean island, marking the first such trip in decades and signalling strengthened bilateral ties amid regional challenges.
Starmer, who flew into Larnaca Airport following visits to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to meet President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia on Tuesday morning.
The visit is considered significant as it represents the first time a British prime minister has crossed the Presidential Palace threshold since Edward Heath in 1971, with the exception of John Major’s attendance at the 1993 Commonwealth summit in Limassol.
The meeting agenda encompasses several key areas including the Cyprus issue, strategic dialogue, defence and security, education, economy, trade, and energy.
The presidential office described the visit as “another significant development in the excellent relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom”.
Former Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides highlighted the importance of the visit, ranking it second only to President Christodoulides’ recent meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
Kasoulides emphasised Britain’s triple role as a former colonial power, permanent UN Security Council member, and guarantor power.
Diplomatic sources said Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar has expressed displeasure at Starmer’s decision not to visit the north of the island, breaking from traditional British protocol of maintaining equal distance between the two communities.
Following his meeting with President Christodoulides, scheduled for 8:40 a.m., Starmer will visit the British military base at Akrotiri, amid Conservative party concerns over the future of UK bases on the island.
