Sunak tells new President the UK is here to help

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sent a congratulatory letter to the elected President Nikos Christodoulides expressing his country’s readiness to assist in settling the Cyprus problem and boost close bilateral relations.

A statement from Christodoulides’ office said Sunak pointed out that the cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom is determined by the historical ties, the close relations between the two peoples and the common vision for the future.

He referred to the agreement signed last November by the UK and Cyprus, through which a new era of closer relations between the two countries was introduced.

He notes the decisive role of Christodoulides, then Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Sunak said the MoU between the two countries would strengthen bilateral relations at the diplomatic level and in other areas such as security, economy and education.

Regarding the historically close relations, Sunak praised the contribution of the 300,000 Cypriots of the Diaspora, who play an important role for both countries.

On the Cyprus problem, Sunak underlined the UK’s unwavering support in resolving the issue under the aegis of the United Nations for a comprehensive, just and sustainable solution based on a bi-zonal bi-communal federation with political equality.

The British Prime Minister notes the strong commitment of the elected President for the resumption of negotiations and expresses the readiness of the UK to assist in efforts to reach a solution, under the auspices of the UN, in its capacity as a Permanent Member of the Security Council.

The last round of UN-backed peace talks collapsed in the summer of 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans Montana.