Memorandum of Understanding is a “turning point” in UK – Cyprus relations

President Christofias of Cyprus and the UK’s Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, today met at 10 Downing Street and agreed a “Memorandum of Understanding” which has been welcomed by the UK Cypriot community as a potential milestone in the bilateral relations between the UK and the Republic of Cyprus and as a positive development in the context of efforts to agree a negotiated solution and the reunification of Cyprus.

Peter Droussiotis, President of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK, the umbrella organisation for Cypriot community bodies in the UK, welcomed the Memorandum:

“This Memorandum is a real turning point in relations between the UK and Cyprus and can facilitate the UK’s constructive engagement in efforts to reunite the island under UN auspices. It provides a solid foundation upon which to build closer co-operation between the two countries which is an objective of our organisation in the UK. As the representative body and the voice of British Cypriots, the Federation will play its own part in contributing to better relations between the UK and Cyprus and in exercising influence over the UK’s own role in relation to the resolution of the division of Cyprus.”  

In a press conference after the Memorandum was signed, President Demetris Christofias talked of the UK’s significance in contributing towards a solution:

“As a prominent member of the EU and a permanent member of the UN Security Council,… we look to the United Kingdom to exert influence in the direction of achieving a just, viable and functional solution.”

On a visit to the UK Cypriot community last month, President Christofias emphasised the significance of the Federation’s role in nurturing the UK’s motivation to contribute positively to efforts to reunite Cyprus.