The UK sees a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue as the best opportunity to resolve issues currently surrounding direct flights to the Turkish occupied airport of Tymbou, according to a British Government spokesperson.
When asked to comment on so called "Prime Minister" of the Turkish occupied areas, Ersin Tatar’s claim that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given instructions to start discussing direct flights from London to the occupied northern part of Cyprus, a UK Government spokesperson told the Cyprus News Agency that "the Prime Minister is committed to achieving a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus."
"Reuniting Cyprus would unlock significant economic benefits through increased opportunities for trade, investment and tourism," he added.
The British Government’s position regarding the Cyprus issue and Turkey’s activity within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus does not change now that the UK has exited the European Union, the Minister for Europe Christopher Pincher said.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency on the sidelines of the ‘Conservative Friends of Cyprus’ Annual Vasilopita event at the Parliament on Wednesday evening, Pincher said: “Our stance remains the same, which is we believe that a bi-zonal, bi-communal system for the people of the island of Cyprus is the best way forward for peace and prosperity for them all; and we believe that Cyprus has a right to exclusive access to its Exclusive Economic Zone, and any drilling there by anybody is wrong. We deplore it and we continue to deplore it."
Meanwhile Cypriot Defence Minister, Savvas Angelides will today travel to Munich where he will attend the Conference on Security taking place between February 14 and 16.
According to a press release issued by the Defence Ministry, Angelides will also have bilateral meetings with his counterparts of Portugal and Montenegro, with the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Lebanon and with the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Croatia.
The agenda of the Conference includes, among other matters, cybersecurity and combating terrorism, energy security, climate change and issues of global health and their impacts on international security, the role of women in the fields of peace and security, the Euro-Atlantic cooperation and developments in the Arab world.
*Source: CNA