British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to arrive in Cyprus early tomorrow morning, marking the first bilateral visit by a UK premier to the island since 1971. The visit, which had been arranged days ago but not publicly disclosed, is part of Starmer’s regional tour.
Diplomatic sources indicate this is more than a ceremonial visit, as it signals the beginning of a strategic dialogue between London and Nicosia.
As part of this strengthening relationship, Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos is scheduled to visit Britain in the next ten days to meet with his counterpart.
Starmer’s regional tour includes visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates today. He specifically requested to meet with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, with whom he maintains good relations.
The British premier has been actively seeking contacts with EU member state leaders to maintain close communication channels with Brussels, particularly given Brexit’s economic impact on Britain.
The agenda includes regional security concerns, economic matters, and the implementation of sanctions against Russia.
For Nicosia, beyond the Cyprus issue, discussions will focus on Cyprus’s role as a regional stability pillar and bilateral economic and investment opportunities.
During his one-day visit, Starmer will visit the British Sovereign Base Areas in Akrotiri to meet with British troops ahead of the Christmas holidays.
A presidential announcement notes that this meeting comes less than two months after their previous talks in London.
The two leaders will hold private discussions followed by expanded delegation talks tomorrow morning at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia.
The visit’s agenda encompasses defence and security cooperation, education, culture, economy, trade, investments, and energy matters.
Discussions will also cover the Cyprus issue, migration challenges, the situation in Ukraine, and EU-UK relations.
Special attention will be given to regional developments and Cyprus’s role in providing humanitarian aid, including through the ‘Amalthea’ initiative and civilian evacuation efforts from conflict zones.
Meanwhile, the British newspaper Independent reports that Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar’s office expressed disappointment over not being informed about Starmer’s visit beforehand.
The statement calls on the British government, as a guarantor power, to treat both sides in Cyprus equally ahead of expanded UN-led Cyprus talks.
The Independent also reports that senior Conservative opposition figures, including shadow defence minister Mark Francois and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel, are calling on Starmer to clarify that he has no intention of “surrendering” the British bases in Cyprus, drawing parallels with the “internationally embarrassing” Chagos Islands agreement returning sovereignty to Mauritius.
The National Federation of Cypriots in the UK warmly welcomed the announcement of Starmer’s visit on social media, describing it as a “major step forward” in bilateral relations.
