Speeches

Lord Kilclooney – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Kilclooney on 2016-01-21.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to abandoning one or both of the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus to facilitate a political settlement on the island.

Earl Howe

The UK will continue to support the efforts of President Anastasiades and Mr Akinci to reunite Cyprus through a just and lasting settlement. The UK has made a generous offer that, as part of a comprehensive settlement, we will cede a significant proportion of the land mass of the Sovereign Base Areas. However, the Sovereign Base Areas continue to have a significant operational value for defence that is expected to endure for the long term.