Sir Keir Starmer said the UK-Cyprus relationship could be taken to “an even stronger level” as he met the country’s president in Nicosia for talks on the Middle East amid fresh upheaval in Syria.
The Prime Minister also thanked military personnel at the Akrotiri base on the island, where British troops have been deployed, for their work during a “volatile” period in the region.
Sir Keir’s meeting with Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides was the first of its kind in 53 years.
The two men described the meeting as “historic”, with the Prime Minister saying it had been “far too long” since a British premier had made a bilateral visit to Cyprus.
“Please take it as a statement of my intent that our already strong relationship, the partnership between our countries – strong historically, strong because of the ties that we’ve had people-to-people for many, many years and common interests – can be taken to an even stronger level between us,” he said.
Mr Christodoulides said the meeting was “testament to our strong political will to work together to enhance our bilateral relationship” on matters including defence, security and trade.
The talks came amid reports of Israel carrying out a wave of airstrikes across Syria overnight after insurgent groups – led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS – took control of Damascus.
Israel had earlier seized a buffer zone within Syria that had been established after the 1973 Mideast war, a move it said was taken to prevent attacks following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad.
Sir Keir’s is the first visit of a British prime minister to Cyprus since Edward Heath in 1971.
Meeting British personnel at the Akrotiri base afterwards, he said they were giving “the highest form of service”.
Staff at the base have been involved in Operation Shader to tackle the so-called Islamic State, aid drops to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and work to draw up an evacuation plan for Lebanon.
The Prime Minister said: “There’s no higher service than the service that you give to our country. I talk about service in politics, but the service you give first hand to your country to make us safe as a country – and our allies safe in a really volatile time at the moment in the world – that is the highest form of service.
“I am grateful. The country is grateful. I hope that over the Christmas period you do get a little bit of time just to reflect and relax at the end of what has been a really challenging year.”
In a reference to some of the sensitive work conducted from the base he added: “Although we’re really proud of what you’re doing, we can’t necessarily tell the world what you’re doing here.”
