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On February 7th 2026, the Secretariat of the National Federation of Cypriots in the UK hosted a dinner in honour of former Secretary of State Theresa Villiers at the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood. Also in attendance was His Excellency, the High Commissioner of the Republic Cyprus in the UK, Dr Kyriacos Kouros.
At the dinner, Dame Theresa told attendees that campaigning for justice for Cyprus and supporting efforts to reunify the island has been a central theme for her more than 20 years in politics.
Dame Theresa said that the forcible division of Cyprus that began in 1974 remains a grave injustice. She stated that she will continue to support efforts to reunite the island as one country with a single international personality and citizenship.
In closing, Dame Theresa remarked that it was a special privilege to be the MP for Barnet, which has a significant and successful Cypriot community. She expressed her deep thanks to all her Cypriot friends and constituents for the support they have shown over the years.
Federation President Christos Karaolis welcomed the evening’s guests saying, “this evening we want to express our deep gratitude and appreciation to an individual who has shown consistent commitment and friendship to both the Cypriot community here in Britain as well as Cyprus itself – Dame Theresa Villiers.”
Mr Karaolis said, “Whether it was continuing to attend our anti-occupation events as a Secretary of State, passionately serving as an officer of the APPG for Cyprus and President of the Conservative Friends of Cyprus, or being one of the first to publicly call for the abolition of the anachronistic system of guarantees, your support has been steadfast and strong.”
The dinner closed with Mr Karaolis presenting Dame Theresa with a commemorative plaque on behalf of the Federation, ‘in grateful recognition of her steadfast commitment, principled advocacy, and longstanding dedication to the just cause of freedom and reunification of Cyprus.’
Dame Theresa Villiers was the MP for Chipping Barnet from 2005 to 2024 and a Member of the European Parliament from 11995 to 2005. As an MP, she served as Minister of State for Rail and Aviation from 2010 to 2012, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2012 to 2016 and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2019 to 2020.