Newsroom
President Nikos Christodoulides has urged new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to use the United Kingdom’s influence to help bring the Cyprus peace process back to the negotiating table.
The Cyprus problem was at the center of the leaders’ first telephone conversation Monday morning, along with bilateral cooperation, relations between Britain and the European Union, and developments in the Middle East.
Christodoulides and Burnham agreed to meet in person later this month on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week in New York.
According to Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Christodoulides briefed Burnham on the latest efforts by the U.N. secretary-general and said the present diplomatic momentum must be used to restart meaningful negotiations.
The president stressed that talks should resume from where they broke down at Crans-Montana in 2017 and remain within the framework established by U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Britain has several important roles in the Cyprus problem. It is one of the island’s three guarantor powers, alongside Greece and Turkey, a permanent member of the Security Council and the country responsible for drafting the council’s resolutions on Cyprus.
That gives London diplomatic weight, although it does not guarantee progress after decades of failed negotiations.
The call also covered the relationship between Cyprus and Britain, which the two sides described as historic and increasingly close. For thousands of Cypriot families with relatives, property, studies, or business interests in the UK, cooperation between the two governments can have practical consequences.
EU-UK relations were another major part of the discussion. Christodoulides said bringing London and Brussels closer would be a priority during Cyprus’ presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Any improvement in those ties could eventually make everyday dealings between Cyprus and Britain easier, particularly in areas such as travel, education, and business, although no specific measures were announced during the call.
The leaders also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East and agreed to remain in close contact. Their planned meeting in New York will provide the first indication of whether Monday’s warm words can lead to concrete British support for renewed Cyprus talks.
