Cypriot President Christodoulides wants to discuss British bases — Cyprus Mail

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said that the country seeks to resolve the status of British military bases on the island. According to him, the UK government has not ruled out discussing this issue, Cyprus Mail reports.

Position of the Cypriot president

In an interview with the British publication The Observer, Christodoulides said that an end must be put to the colonial legacy associated with the bases. At the same time, he stressed that this position is not a manifestation of anti-British sentiment.

The president did not specify exactly what changes Cyprus would seek. He said that the country has different options, but will not conduct public negotiations out of respect for the British government.

London's position on the bases

The issue returned to the spotlight after a drone strike on the Royal Air Force Akrotiri air base on March 2. Cyprus Mail notes that it was most likely an Iranian Shahed drone, which, according to the publication, was launched from Lebanon by Hezbollah.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

After the attack, Christodoulides called the bases a consequence of colonialism and promised to discuss their status with London after the regional crisis ends. Earlier, The Telegraph reported that he sought to revise security arrangements under the 1960 treaty.

UK Defence Minister Alistair Carns publicly stated that the legal status of the bases is not subject to negotiations and that transferring sovereignty over them is not being considered. According to him, London's priority is cooperation with Cyprus.

Statements on Britain's return to the EU

Separately, Christodoulides called a possible return of the United Kingdom to the European Union a mutually beneficial step. He said that all 27 EU member states would welcome such a possibility, although he does not expect London to submit an application within the next two years.