The British High Commissioner, Michael Tatham, stated that the United Kingdom is closely monitoring developments on the Cyprus issue.
He met on Tuesday morning with the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou,.
Demetriou highlighted earlier the role of the UK as a guarantor power and a Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, stressing the need for procedures to move forward for the next meeting on Cyprus in broader format to take place soon under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.
According to a press release by the House of Representatives, Demetriou underlined the importance of every possible form of support towards the resumption of talks on the Cyprus issue, with the British High Commissioner emphasizing the importance of making use of the current momentum to achieve progress.
During the meeting, the close relations between Cyprus and the United Kingdom were noted, and issues relating to bilateral cooperation were discussed, as well as cooperation between the European Union and the United Kingdom following Brexit, particularly in the context of Cyprus’s current Presidency of the Council of the EU.
During their exchange, the High Commissioner noted that the period of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU “is going to be a really busy and important six months”. He expressed the view that the Presidency has gotten off to a good start and said that, although the UK is not a member of the EU, it is looking forward to working very closely with the Presidency. “We have an agenda at the minute of trying to intensify our partnership with the EU,” he said.
With regard to developments in the wider region, Tatham noted the strategic position of Cyprus and expressed the United Kingdom’s appreciation for the cooperation between the two countries, particularly in relation to the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the facilities provided by Cyprus for the evacuation of foreign nationals from conflict zones.
During the meeting, issues concerning cooperation between Cyprus and the United Kingdom were also discussed, particularly in the field of education and the issue of increased tuition fees at British universities in the post-Brexit era.
( Source: CNA)
