A private meeting took place at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia between Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marking the first official visit of a British Prime Minister to Cyprus in 53 years.

President Christodoulides and Prime Minister Starmer engaged in a one-on-one discussion, followed by expanded talks between delegations from both countries. Starmer arrived in Cyprus via Larnaca Airport, departing from the tradition of British officials arriving at the British Base in Episkopi.

Starmer’s visit has provoked anger from Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, who protested that the British had not even informed him about the visit. The program did  not include a trip to the occupied territories or a meeting with Tatar, a practice typically followed by British officials. Tatar stated that the UK, as a guarantor power, should maintain a balanced approach between the two sides in Cyprus.

The Republic of Cyprus, as protothema.gr learns, does not intend to raise the issue of the Bases in its discussions with Keir Starmer. However, it is almost certain that the UK would want to address it, even indirectly, due to concerns following the 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice in The Hague regarding Mauritius’s appeal over the Chagos Islands, which the UK retained after the end of colonialism, using them as bases in cooperation with the United States. In its advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice upheld Mauritius’s claim, finding that the UK had violated international law and called on it to abandon the bases.

London wants to ensure that the Bases will maintain their current sovereignty status and that no complications will arise that could challenge their continued existence.

Nicosia will not raise the issue of the Bases, as this touches on the core of the 1960 agreements establishing the Republic of Cyprus. It is clear that it would be problematic to question the treaty upon which the state’s legitimacy is founded. The difference with Mauritius is that the Cypriot side signed the 1960 agreements, accepting the presence of sovereign British bases.

The UK is a guarantor power and a permanent member of the Security Council and can contribute to the progress of the Cyprus problem resolution process, expecting, of course, (as happens in international relations) counterbalances.

Based on this, a productive discussion can take place. However, as political circles in Nicosia point out, today’s priorities go beyond those of the Bases. The Eastern Mediterranean is in turmoil, and maintaining security is a major concern for both Nicosia and London.