The Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the British Minister of State for Europe and the Americas
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, met today with the Minister of State for Europe and the Americas of the United Kingdom, Sir Alan Duncan, in the framework of his two-day visit to Cyprus.
Minister Kasoulides and Sir Duncan had a tête-à-tête meeting, followed by consultations of the delegations of the two countries. Issues in the agenda included the bilateral relations, the latest developments in the Cyprus problem, counter-terrorism and the situation following the referendum in the UK.
Speaking to the Press after the meeting, Minister Kasoulides warmly welcomed Sir Duncan to Cyprus. Referring to bilateral relations and the strategic partnership of the two countries, Mr Kasoulides said that they have been growing stronger and deeper in the last couple of years. “With the UK, we are already cooperating in crisis management, humanitarian operations as well as in finding best ways to deal with growing asymmetric threats. Our bilateral cooperation enjoys a dynamic and constantly growing coordination on several fronts and I am pleased to observe that there is a momentum and willingness from both sides to keep expanding it”, he highlighted.
Foreign Minister Kasoulides also conveyed Cyprus’ appreciation for the support provided to the country during the firefighting efforts of the last devastating fires in the mountains of Solea, in June. “Cyprus appreciates UK’s immediate response to our request for the dispatch of firefighting aircraft and a support team”, he stressed.
Mr Kasoulides further briefed the British Minister on the latest developments in the current negotiating process for finding a solution to the Cyprus Problem and the role the UK can play in facilitating this process.
Lastly, Mr Kasoulides and Sir Duncan discussed the situation as it evolves after the referendum in the UK. “On the European level we need to launch an internal process of introspection, in order to find the root causes of this feeling of alienation of our citizens and the perceived absence of democratic transparency and accountability, so that we can achieve a better and more efficient Europe and bridge the serious perception gap that exists between Brussels and our citizens”, Mr Kasoulides underlined.
Moreover, he added that, on the bilateral level, “we look at the post-referendum period as a chance to deepen and strengthen our relationship even further. Our authorities are already closely looking into all aspects of our bilateral affairs and we look forward to working very closely with the UK in order to redefine the web of our relations”.
He finally expressed the belief that London should be afforded time to determine how it envisages its future relationship with the EU, “but the sooner this is determined the better for all of us, as the uncertainty is not without consequences for both. The future cooperation between UK and the EU will be negotiated at that level, but the special link between Cyprus and UK will have to be dealt with bilaterally”.
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