Nicosia, Cyprus. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told President Nikos Christodoulides that Cyprus’ security is “fundamental” to the United Kingdom, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis said. The two spoke by telephone at Starmer’s initiative and discussed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and related developments.
Call focuses on security and preventive measures
Letymbiotis said Starmer told Christodoulides that “the security of the Republic of Cyprus is fundamental to the United Kingdom and, to that end, a decision has been taken to enhance the means contributing to the preventative measures already in place”.
The remarks followed a British defence ministry announcement on Friday evening that 500 “additional personnel” would be deployed to Cyprus, alongside military hardware that arrived both before and after the start of the conflict at the beginning of the month.
Coordination with the UK and EU summit briefing
Letymbiotis said Christodoulides underlined the importance of further strengthening coordination and cooperation with the United Kingdom, adding that relations between the two countries are grounded in close and sincere cooperation based on mutual respect and a longstanding partnership.
He said Christodoulides also briefed Starmer on the approach he presented at the European Council summit in Brussels regarding the need for a coordinated initiative, in cooperation with partners, to de-escalate the crisis.
Multilateral efforts and statement on Strait of Hormuz
According to Letymbiotis, Christodoulides stressed that leveraging multilateralism is the primary diplomatic avenue for strengthening these efforts and making a meaningful contribution to safeguarding stability.
Letymbiotis said Starmer concurred and referred to a joint statement issued by 22 countries, including the UK, regarding the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
The statement said the countries “condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces”.
It called on the Iranian government to “cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks, and other attempts to block the strait to commercial shipping”, and said the effects of Iran’s actions would be felt globally, especially by the most vulnerable.
What further steps will you be watching for from Cyprus and the United Kingdom in response to developments in the Middle East?