The United Kingdom and Cyprus have reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening their strategic partnership, with a particular focus on security, regional stability and institutional cooperation, during a meeting on Wednesday at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London between UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Cyprus Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos.
Cooper stressed that London and Nicosia work closely together on issues of shared foreign policy, regional security and international security. She referred to the recent contacts between the two governments following the attack on a Cyprus-flagged vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, while reiterating the importance the British government attaches to Cyprus' security and its strategic role in the wider region.
The UK Foreign Secretary also congratulated the Republic of Cyprus on its successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union, noting that Nicosia supports the further development of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Communication on security matters
Referring to bilateral ties, Cooper highlighted the strong people-to-people links between the two countries, noting that around 300,000 Cypriots live in the United Kingdom, while 1.4 million British tourists visit Cyprus every year.
For his part, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said that, at a time of major geopolitical transformation, the Republic of Cyprus is seeking to add greater substance to its strategic partnership with the United Kingdom.
He said the objective is to strengthen the institutional framework for cooperation and enhance communication mechanisms on security and other areas of mutual interest.
Kombos also underlined the need for a "comprehensive, meaningful and results-oriented dialogue", stressing that the common objective of both countries is to find solutions to existing challenges and further strengthen bilateral cooperation, despite the occasional complexities that have characterised their relationship over the years.
Source: CNA
