British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has assured Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides that the British bases in Cyprus will not be used in any offensive military operations, according to a written statement from government spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis.
The call — the third between the two leaders in three weeks, and initiated by Starmer — came after Christodoulides returned from Brussels. Nicosia attaches particular significance to the frequency of contact.
Starmer also announced a decision to reinforce assets contributing to preventive measures already in place, and reaffirmed that the security of Cyprus is fundamental to the United Kingdom.
During the conversation, Christodoulides raised both problems that had arisen and lessons learned from the handling of the crisis so far regarding the British Bases, and put forward a specific proposal to open related discussions.
Christodoulides briefed Starmer on the approach he had presented to EU leaders at the recent European Council, calling for a coordinated initiative — in cooperation with partners — aimed at de-escalating the crisis.
He said multilateralism was the primary diplomatic route for strengthening those efforts and contributing to regional stability.
According to Letymbiotis, Starmer agreed, and pointed to a recent joint statement issued by the UK alongside France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates on the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of shared commitment to multilateralism and de-escalation.
Christodoulides also stressed Cyprus’s role as a pillar of stability and a reliable partner in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the importance of deepening coordination and cooperation with the UK within the framework of the two countries’ strategic dialogue.
Shifting language on sovereignty
Nicosia has also been tracking a notable shift in the language used in Downing Street’s three communiqués following each of the leaders’ calls.
The first, issued on 1 March, referred to the security of “Cyprus and the Sovereign Base Areas” — the full legal term derived from the 1960 Treaty of Establishment. By the second statement on 3 March, the word “Sovereign” had disappeared, with only “the security of Cyprus” referenced. The third, on 21 March, referred simply to “UK bases.”
Government circles in Nicosia attribute London’s urgency in seeking contact to two developments: Cyprus raising the bases issue directly, and the EU’s involvement through a reference included in the conclusions adopted at the most recent European Council.
London had moved pre-emptively to give assurances over base use, though misunderstandings between British officials’ assurances and their public statements had arisen in the twenty days prior.
