President Nikos Christodoulides has called for an end to what he described as the colonial legacy of Britain’s Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, in an interview with The Observer published on Saturday.
He also backed Britain rejoining the European Union, saying all 27 member states would welcome such a move.
The bases
Speaking at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Christodoulides said it was time to reconsider the status of the bases at Akrotiri and Dhekelia. He stressed that this was not an expression of anti-British feeling, saying Cyprus’s relationship with Britain today was not the same as in 1960.
The British government has not ruled out discussing the status of the bases, he said, adding that there were various options but that Cyprus would not negotiate in public out of respect for the British government.
Britain and the EU
Ten years after Brexit, Christodoulides said he would like to see Britain rejoin the EU in full, even next week. He said he could speak for all 27 member states in saying they would welcome its return, and that the obstacle did not lie on the European side.
A British return would benefit both sides, he said, strengthening the EU at a time of international instability and helping London deal with major challenges such as migration. In his view, Britain needs the EU more than the EU needs Britain.
He cited Cyprus’s experience to show the benefits of European cooperation, saying that with the EU’s help, irregular migration to the island had fallen by 90 per cent and returns had risen by 85 per cent.
However, he said it would not be politically easy for the British government to move straight to a new membership application or a referendum. Instead, he expects a gradual rapprochement, through which Britain could develop cooperation resembling that of a member state without formally joining. Britain could not return by picking only the benefits that suit it, he said, adding that nobody would want selective participation.
The interview comes as London and Brussels draw closer, negotiating agreements on youth mobility, tuition fees for EU students at British universities, agricultural trade and cooperation on emissions, among other areas, ahead of a UK-EU summit in Brussels on 20 November.
A YouGov poll published by the newspaper shows that almost six in ten Britons now think Brexit was a mistake, and that 55 per cent favour rejoining the EU, against 34 per cent who are opposed.
(Information from Cyprus News Agency)
