UK says status of bases on Cyprus is ‘non-negotiable’

The ineligible status of the two British bases successful Cyprus is “non-negotiable,” UK Armed Forces Minister Al Carnes said connected Sunday.

The remark comes weeks aft President Nikos Christodoulides said that his state wanted “an unfastened and frank treatment with the British government” implicit the aboriginal of the bases successful Cyprus.

“We person to beryllium truly wide connected this, the ineligible status of the sovereign basal areas is stone solid,” Carnes told The Telegraph successful an interrogation published Sunday.

“What we’re seeing due to the fact that of the menace that has been posed, for the archetypal clip successful a agelong time, is the Cypriots, the Brits and different allies coming together to work connected an integrated program to support the capabilities here,” helium added. “I think we’ll spot a batch of positives. We tin understand some of the frictions but the world is the ineligible ground of these sovereign territories is non-negotiable.”

Questions implicit Britain’s subject bases connected the land travel successful the aftermath of a drone onslaught connected the Akrotiri aerial unit basal on March 2. The Iranian-made drone is believed to person been fired by Iranian proxy Hezbollah from Lebanon. Nobody was injured but the incidental raised concerns that Cyprus could go a target amid the ongoing war successful the Middle East.