The President of the Republic of Cyprus received the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

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04/07/25 18:52 | Press release | Foreign Policy, Cyprus Problem, Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Nikos Christodoulides, received today the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom (UK), Mr David Lammy, at the Presidential Palace. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Constantinos Kombos, and the Government Spokesman of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr Konstantinos Letymbiotis.

Welcoming Mr Lammy, the President of the Republic of Cyprus said: “We are very glad to have you here. Your visit is very important and timely, I would say, having in mind the new page in our bilateral relations, and there is clear political will from our side to work to enhance even more our bilateral cooperation at all levels.

At the same time, having in mind the developments in our region, the upcoming conference for Cyprus in New York, we also rely on your role as a penholder, as a guarantor power, in order to have a substantial and results-oriented discussion towards the resumption of talks for the solution of the [Cyprus] problem, based always on the United Nations (UN) Security Council’s resolutions.

Also, bearing in mind our upcoming Presidency [of the Council of the European Union (EU)] – we were not very happy with the outcome of the referendum, but we fully respect the will of the British people – we are very glad that we see this new interest, if I may say, and during our Presidency, and not only, we will do our utmost in order to come closer together. We need to work together. The challenges are common, so we need to enhance our cooperation at the level of the EU and the UK, and tackle the challenges ahead of us”.

On his part, Mr Lammy said: “Thank you very much for the warm hospitality and the welcome. It is wonderful to be back in Cyprus. It is obviously wonderful to be here as Foreign Secretary, at a time when we have the strongest bilateral and strategic relationships, and are continuing to build on that, [and also] at a time of very big geopolitical challenge and regional instability. Obviously, we very much value the close working [relationship] with the Cypriot government. I know the Prime Minister values working with you in these challenging times.

We very much look forward to your EU Presidency. In so many ways, it is serendipitous that the closest of friends can work together. And of course, we have reset our relationship with the EU, and we welcome that. But as we move into this new era, it is wonderful that it is under your Presidency, during which we will be able to work together and advance issues of mutual interest, particularly at a time of war here, in Europe.

And, of course, as a guarantor power, we stand behind the UN Secretary-General in the process, hoping that we can get to a settlement, and we will do all we can to continue to work with you and to achieve it”.

(RM/IA/AS)

The President of the Republic of Cyprus received the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

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