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Cyprus

 Flag of Cyprus

Last reviewed: 20 August 2009

Country information

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Relations with neighbours

Relations with neighbours

Cyprus enjoys excellent relations with Greece and cooperates closely on a range of issues. As Turkey doesn’t recognise the Republic of Cyprus, relations with Turkey are much more difficult and strained. The continued division of Cyprus and the need for a solution impacts significantly on Cyprus’ relations with its neighbours and beyond.

Relations with the international community

At the December 2002 Copenhagen European Council, Cyprus was formally invited to join the EU. Cyprus signed the Treaty of Accession on 16 April 2004 and became a full member of the EU on 1 May 2004. The EU acquis (the EU's body of law) is suspended in the northern part Cyprus and, as such, Turkish Cypriots do not enjoy the benefits or share the burden of being part of the EU.
Relations with the UK

Cyprus and the UK have a long-standing and wide-ranging bilateral relationship, based on historical ties and now strengthened through EU Membership. Over 300,000 Greek and Turkish Cypriots live permanently in the UK and over 10,000 students from Cyprus come to the UK annually to take up full time education. In May 2009 Gordon Brown gave a speech to Cypriot diaspora  at an event hosted in the Foreign Office. Just as many Cypriots choose to live and work in the UK, many British citizens have relocated to Cyprus which has a large ex-pat community while  hundreds of thousands more visit the island each year.

Recent visits:
  • Former Minister of State for Europe, Caroline Flint, visited Cyprus on 8 October 2008 and 9 February 2009 and held meetings with the leaders of both communities.
  • President of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, visited the UK in June 2008 and held meetings with the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary.
  • Former Minister of State for Europe Geoff Hoon visited Cyprus in April 2007 and held talks with former Cyprus Foreign Minister George Lillikas.
  • In January 2006, former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw visited Cyprus to encourage progress towards a comprehensive settlement. Mr Straw met with former Foreign Minister George Iacovou and with the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Mehmet Ali Talat.
  • Former President Tassos Papadopoulos, visited the UK in July 2005 and held meetings with the Prime Minister. Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott visited Cyprus in October 2005. His visit was an opportunity to reassure the people of Cyprus of the continued desire of the UK for a comprehensive settlement on the island, and to discuss other issues of mutual interest such as the Future of Europe.

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