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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit Nicosia on Tuesday, December 10, marking an important step in strengthening ties between the United Kingdom and Cyprus. His trip, part of a broader regional tour, will include a private meeting with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, followed by discussions between delegations from both sides. This visit is notable because it’s the first bilateral visit by a British Prime Minister to Cyprus since Edward Heath’s trip in 1971. Although John Major visited in 1993, that trip was part of the Commonwealth Summit.
The meeting will cover a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on bilateral relations, especially in the context of the growing Strategic Dialogue between the two nations. This includes discussions on defense, security, education, culture, the economy, investments, and energy. Both leaders will also tackle regional developments and Cyprus’s unique role in providing humanitarian aid, particularly through initiatives like the "Amalthea" maritime corridor, which supports evacuations from conflict zones.
One key agenda item is the Cyprus problem — the ongoing division of the island since Turkey's 1974 invasion. Despite multiple rounds of UN-backed negotiations, the issue remains unresolved. The last major effort to reunify the island took place in 2017 in Crans Montana, Switzerland, but ended without success. More recently, President Christodoulides met with the Turkish Cypriot leader and UN Secretary General António Guterres in New York, agreeing to a future five-party meeting, though no date has been set.
Discussions will also touch on global issues, such as the Ukraine conflict, migration challenges, and EU-UK relations post-Brexit. The meeting is seen as a continuation of the recent positive momentum in UK-Cyprus relations, following a previous meeting between the two leaders in London less than two months ago.
Starmer’s visit highlights a renewed and constructive phase of cooperation between the two nations, aiming to address both bilateral concerns and broader regional challenges.
Source: CNA
