Policy paper

Memorandum of understanding between the governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Cyprus: establishing a strategic cooperation

Published 15 November 2022

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

The Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Cyprus (hereinafter referred to individually as “the Participant” and collectively as “the Participants”), with a view to enhancing their friendly cooperation and exchange, and further promoting the bilateral relations between the two countries, note and record the following understanding.

Introduction

The Participants have long enjoyed excellent bilateral relations based on their shared history and close people-to-people contacts, underpinned by their mutual support for freedom, democracy and peace, and their opposition to authoritarianism. They share these values through their common membership of international organisations and place within the wider network of democracies in the world. In the UN, they share a commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including respect for the peaceful settlement of disputes and their desire for a just and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bicommunal, bizonal federation with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality, with political equality as set out in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

In the Commonwealth, our shared values are expressed through the Commonwealth Charter’s commitment to the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity.

In the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), we share a commitment to preventing and settling conflict so that States may live at peace.

In the Council of Europe, we share a commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights, sustainable democratic societies, justice and the rule of law.

On this shared basis, the Participants will enhance their collaboration to respond to urgent global challenges such as climate change and the transition to a green economy; the challenge to freedoms and democracy, and the need to build back better globally as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

New arrangements

This memorandum establishes a joint framework to guide and enhance our bilateral partnership and strengthen our international co-operation over the coming years.

Where the Participants decide it would be valuable, this framework may be reinforced by further, more detailed memoranda and agreements.

The Participants will use regular bilateral consultations to assess progress, exchange information and propose new initiatives for co-operation, including but not limited to the areas listed below.

The Participants will:

1. Foreign and regional policy

a. as two democratic countries, expand their dialogue on the challenges posed by malign actors to international peace and security, including the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and their response through shared objectives in defence and economic security, based on the principles of the primacy of international law and the rules-based international system.

b. cooperate closely to reduce risks and enhance peace and prosperity, in Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean, Near East and North Africa, through sharing priorities and enhancing our dialogue on regional issues and seeking to identify new areas of co-operation.

c. work together to develop a progressive agenda in the Commonwealth on global issues and their shared values.

2. Defence and security

a. collaborate to optimise their bilateral cooperation in the area of defence and security in support of international stability, peace and security.

b. improve their situational awareness.

c. develop greater defence co-operation on the basis of their 2019 Memorandum of Understanding on the Enhancement of Defence and Security Co-operation.

d. deliver the programme of activity set out in the annual Bilateral Defence Cooperation e.g. exercising together, Military Education and the exchange of expertise.

e. identify areas for cooperation in terms of defence procurement.

f. further promote their cooperation in the field of exchange and mutual protection of classified information.

3. Education, culture, science and innovation

a. encourage exchange and cooperation in the field of education and training.

b. further their strong and deep institutional cooperation in the areas of archaeology, research, science, technology and innovation.

c.support ongoing collaboration between UK and Cypriot universities, as both Participants build their prosperity and benefit from innovation in new technologies.

d. build on their existing memorandum of understanding to strengthen their bilateral cooperation in the area of digital government.

4. Trade and prosperity

a. strengthen their economic and commercial ties in all sectors, with particular emphasis on sectors of common interest and significant growth potential, including, but not limited to, tourism, shipping, the circular economy, green growth, and new technology.

b. expand their dialogue on shared areas of strategic dependence and how they impact economic security, including discussion of sanctions and economic measures, and protecting current and future supply chains, in line with the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus as a Member State of the European Union.

c. within the context of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement, create an optimum environment for trade and investment between the Republic of Cyprus and the United Kingdom, identifying and exploring mechanisms for enhancing this relationship, and commit to enable further collaboration between the business communities of the two countries.

d. ensure the best possible business relations via meaningful involvement of the business communities in their plans to increase the levels of trade between their countries.

5. Maritime affairs

a. expand and strengthen bilateral cooperation in maritime affairs in areas including, but not limited to, seafarer training and welfare, research and innovation, automation, and decarbonisation in accordance with the framework of IMO’s measures and guidelines.

6. Climate

a. work together to promote a successful outcome to international discussions on action against climate change and to progress delivery of COP26 commitments through the UK’s Presidency of COP26 and Cyprus’s Regional Climate Change Initiative, with the global objective of reducing emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change and developing mitigations.

b. explore areas of collaboration in terms of exchange of best practices, particularly in the fields of science, technology, policy and governance, especially where these relate to joint commitments made at COP26.

7. Cooperation on law enforcement, serious organised crime and terrorism

a. work together to explore opportunities for strengthening cooperation on law enforcement and criminal justice matters, to complement ongoing cooperation under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This includes possible proposals for strengthening law enforcement information exchange via existing mechanisms, e.g. INTERPOL; the exploration of new mechanisms to enable real-time reciprocal alert exchange, including the possibility of the development of new technology to support this, in line with the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus as a Member State of the European Union; and affording each other the widest measure of cooperation for the exchange of information extracted from criminal records, for criminal and non-criminal purposes, in accordance with the national legislation of the Participants and the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus as a Member State of the European Union.

b. continue to work closely together with Europol and Eurojust to prevent and combat organised crime, terrorism and other forms of serious crime.

c. collaborate to reduce the risk that their citizens face from terrorism and organised crime.

d. explore new areas in which the Participants can share capabilities, expand operational collaboration, undertake joint training, and build their shared capacity.

e. collaborate on training and capacity-building delivered through the Cyprus Center for Land, Open – Seas and port Security (CYCLOPS), on areas including customs and export controls, port and maritime security, cyber-security and counter-terrorism.

f. collaborate on training and capacity-building on countering disinformation.

g. enhance their cooperation in criminal justice matters, working together to ensure practical delivery of previously established shared aims such as transfer of prisoners, and on new initiatives to further promote and protect criminal justice.

8. Legal and justice affairs

a. promote cooperation between their legal communities based on their shared common law links.

b. work together to share best practices in the modernisation and reform of their justice and legal systems through joint training and exchanges.

c. increase co-operation in the areas of access to justice, due process and support to victims of crime, including through the training of officials and sharing of best practice.

d. work together to promote judicial cooperation on civil matters, in accordance with the obligations of the Republic of Cyprus as a Member State of the European Union.

9. Consular matters including our people-to-people links

a. ensure their respective expatriate populations and British or Cypriot visitors to their respective countries are aware of their rights and responsibilities, that their rights are protected and they are able to experience their time in their countries safely.

b. enhance the links between their professional and academic networks, improving the ability of their citizens to share their experiences, and live and work together.

10. Arrangements

a. The areas of initial focus outlined above will be reviewed at their regular bilateral consultations. Either Participant may propose additional areas for cooperation. The Participants will review the terms of this Memorandum not later than 5 years from the date it comes into operation.

b. The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus will have responsibility for this Memorandum of Understanding, and will establish an annual dialogue at which they or their representatives will review progress and propose new initiatives.

c. This dialogue will alternate its location between London and Nicosia. Between annual dialogues, a discussion between senior officials will take place to monitor progress against decided objectives.

d. This Memorandum is not legally binding. It will come into operation upon signature and will continue in operation until terminated by either Participant giving six months’ written notice to the other.

e. The foregoing record represents the understandings reached between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Cyprus on the matters referred to therein.

Signed in duplicate at ……………………. on ……………….. in the English language.

For the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

For the Government of the Republic of Cyprus