The President of the Republic of Cyprus wishes to express his particular satisfaction for the agreement signed today between the Government of the Republic of Cyprus and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland relating to the regulation of property development within the British Bases.
The agreement constitutes a historic development with respect to the British Bases in Cyprus, as it provides, 53-plus years following the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, an overall framework for property development in the British Bases.
The negotiations commenced on October 2nd, 2013, and were recently completed in Nicosia after ten meetings held by the negotiating teams. The agreement, inter alia:
1. Enables the integration of a large part of the territory of the British Bases in planning zones, which will allow for property development. In particular, the agreement allows 78% of the territory of the British Bases, which amounts to an area of about 200 square kilometers, to be included in planning zones which will be defined and it includes the totality of private property in the Bases.
2. Ensures that residents and property owners in the British Bases will enjoy equal rights for the development of property within the British Bases in relation to the rest of the population of the Republic of Cyprus.
3. Removes all existing restrictions regarding the beneficiaries for the acquisition and development of property within the British Bases, so that all provisions which apply in the Republic of Cyprus regarding the acquisition and development of properties by European citizens and other third country nationals will also be applicable in the British Bases.
4. Brings in line the situation in the British Bases in relation to what applies in the Republic of Cyprus as regards the acquisition and development of property and normalizes the lives of residents in the British Bases.
5. Provides a considerable potential for the economic development of the areas within the British Bases, with all the subsequent positive effects for the welfare of the residents of the communities within the Bases, and helps in generating a wider boost to the Cyprus economy.
6. Reaffirms the longstanding position of the Republic of Cyprus that the British Bases in Cyprus are used exclusively for military purposes.
7. Safeguards the vital national interests of the Republic of Cyprus in relation to the British Bases.
The agreement ushers in a fresh air of optimism for the residents and the owners of property in the British Bases, and opens up significant prospects for economic growth and activity in the midst of a very difficult economic period for the Republic of Cyprus. The agreement also provides tangible proof to the implementation of the package to restart the economy, which I announced on April 19th, 2013, and included, inter alia, the conclusion with the United Kingdom of an agreement for the non-military development in the British Bases.
Upon my instructions, a meeting will be convened for next Wednesday, January 22nd at 10 a.m., where I will present the agreement to the competent Ministers and District Officers, representatives of the local community councils, Presidents and Members of the competent parliamentary committees, members of Parliament from the Districts of Limassol, Larnaca and Ammochostos and representatives of organized groups and organizations.