Former Cyprus Attorney General Costas Clerides has called on President Nikos Christodoulides to initiate a review of the legal status of the UK's Sovereign Basic Areas (SBAs) on the island.
In a letter sent to the President on November 19, Clerides stressed the need to "modernize the legal status" of British bases. He proposed starting a dialogue with the British authorities, the purpose of which would not be to liquidate the bases, but to limit their territory to the minimum necessary, establish a time frame for their presence and agree on financial compensation.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the leaders of parliamentary parties.
Clerides suggests taking the recent agreement between the UK and Mauritius on the Chagos Archipelago as a basis. According to the October 3 agreement, the archipelago will be recognized as part of Mauritius, but the UK and US will maintain a military presence on the island of Diego Garcia for the next 99 years. In return, the UK pledged to provide financial support to Mauritius, including annual payments and infrastructure investment.
This precedent, according to Clerides, can become an example for Cyprus, given international experience in such matters.
The issue of the status of British bases in Cyprus remains one of the sensitive topics in relations between the two countries, and Clerides' initiative may become the starting point for a new round of negotiations.
Source: cyprus-mail.com
Photo: theguardian.com
