Keir Starmer is making a historic trip to Cyprus next week at a time when concerns are being raised over the future of the two crucial UK bases on the Mediterranean island in the wake of the deal to hand over Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The trip by Sir Keir on his way back from a brief tour of Arab Gulf states will be the first time a UK prime minister has visited for a one-to-one bilateral meeting with the president of Cyprus for 53 years since Ted Heath visited the island in 1971.
Since then only John Major visited in his role as prime minister for a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in 1993.
The trip is part of the post-Brexit reset to help build relations with EU leaders. However, Sir Keir arrives amid growing demands in Cyprus for the UK to hand back its two crucial bases on the island.
The demands have been fuelled by his controversial deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius involving the status of the Diego Garcia base. This has come at a time when protests over the UK bases in Cyprus have started up again.
While Downing Street sources have indicated that the future of the bases will not be up for discussion, the Tories are seeking public reassurances.
Tory shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois said: “Given the ongoing instability in the Middle East, the strategic importance of our sovereign base facilities in Cyprus is plainly obvious. Having already attempted to surrender one vital British military installation – in the Chagos Islands – let’s hope our prime minister is not about to commence the surrender of those in Cyprus now too.”
Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel added: “The threats to Britain are only growing and evolving. Having a strong international presence is becoming increasingly important, so we welcome strengthening partnerships with international allies.
“However, the prime minister must be clear that he has no intention to hand over another strategically important military base. This must not be another fiasco like the international embarrassment of the Chagos deal.”
The importance of the UK bases and their listening posts for the Middle East has been underlined in the last week over the latest outbreak of civil war in Syria. The government has previously said that the bases in Cyprus are not affected by the Chagos deal and are secure.
Added to that, The Independent has learnt that the president of the breakaway and unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has been left surprised after claiming Sir Keir had not informed him of his visit.
The office of the TRNC’s president Ersin Tatar is requesting a meeting.
In a statement released exclusively to The Independent, the office said: “As one of the guarantor powers, the UK has an obligation to treat the two sides on an equal footing, notwithstanding the fact that the visit is being staged at a time when the UN Secretary-General will be hosting a broader informal meeting on the Cyprus issue, to which the UK will also be represented.
“There are two sides in Cyprus and any settlement to be reached requires dialogue, cooperation and understanding between the sides. Simply ignoring the existence of Turkish Cypriot people and speaking to only one side of the conflicting parties will only undermine efforts to build trust and ways to paving the way for meaningful cooperation across different areas between the sides.
“We expect for common sense and reason to prevail, and for the UK prime minister to accept meeting with President Ersin Tatar during his visit to the Island.”
The visit is taking place in the year where both sides of the island have marked the partition following the outbreak of civil war and intervention by Turkey in 1974. Turkey has remained in bases there since in what the TRNC regards as a protective force and the Republic of Cyprus and United Nations describe as illegal occupation.
This year Labour’s former foreign secretary Jack Straw, who was part of the Annan Plan to reunite the island, which failed in 2004 when Cyprus vetoed it, added his support for a two-state solution to recognise both halves of the island.
The prime minister arrives on Monday night and will meet President Nikos Christodoulides in the capital Nicosia on Tuesday, before travelling to meet British troops deployed over Christmas.
Downing Street said that the prime minister and president are expected to discuss how to deepen cooperation on shared security challenges in the region, including Russian illicit finance and tackling serious organised crime.
Cyprus’ deputy high commissioner to the UK Spyros Miltiades said: “This is a historic visit by a British PM to the Republic of Cyprus. The two principals will discuss the reinforced bilateral UK – Cyprus ties, including defence and security, trade, education, investments, as well as the role of Cyprus in the region. They will also discuss the Cyprus issue and the process to restart negotiations.”
The trip follows follows visits to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
Sir Keir will hold a bilateral in the UAE with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday morning, before flying to Saudi Arabia to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud later that day.
The prime minister is set to pursue closer ties with United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, some of the UK’s most vital modern-day partners, to increase investment, deepen defence and security ties, and drive growth and new opportunities to deliver change that is felt by working people.
Ahead of the trip he said: “Driving long term growth at home requires us to strengthen partnerships abroad. That is why I am travelling to the Gulf this week, to build a network of partners for the UK that is focused on driving high quality growth, boosting opportunities, and delivering for the people at home.
“There is huge untapped potential in this region, which is why, while here, I will be making the case to accelerate progress on the Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement, deepen our research and development collaboration and partner on projects of the future, whether that be in Artificial Intelligence or in defence and security programmes.
“By doing so, hardworking British people will reap the rewards for generation to come.”